Slip and Fall in San Francisco. California law, local courts, and the specific deadlines that apply here.

The statute of limitations for a slip and fall personal injury claim in San Francisco is two years from the date of the fall under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. Falls on property owned or maintained by the City and County of San Francisco or SFMTA require a government tort claim within six months. Missing the six-month government deadline permanently bars the claim against that public entity.

To prevail in a San Francisco slip and fall case, the injured person must show the property owner owed a duty of care, had actual or constructive notice of the hazardous condition, failed to correct or warn of the hazard, and the hazard caused the fall and resulting injuries. The most time-critical evidence is surveillance footage — overwritten within 30–72 hours in most commercial properties.

Yes. California's pure comparative fault system applies to slip and fall cases. Common defense arguments — the hazard was open and obvious, the plaintiff was distracted, inappropriate footwear — reduce but never bar recovery. A plaintiff found 25% at fault in a $200,000 injury recovers $150,000 from the negligent property owner.