La Jolla businesses now offer contactless services, from curbside pickup at local boutiques to touchless delivery at oceanfront restaurants. These changes have altered customer interactions and raised new questions about premises liability.
As these services become a permanent part of La Jolla’s business scene, both business owners and customers need to understand how premises liability is changing.
Expanding boundaries of responsibility
La Jolla shops have expanded the traditional limits of their premises by offering more contactless options. This growth raises several important questions about liability:
- Where does a business’s duty of care start and end?
- How do these changes affect your legal status on the property?
- What additional safety measures can businesses add?
Knowing these questions helps you understand your rights and responsibilities in these new scenarios. For example, a cafe offering curbside pickup might need to keep you safe in parking areas they didn’t watch before.
California law makes business owners take reasonable care of customers they invite onto the property for business reasons. This duty covers areas the owner controls. As services expand, defining the limits of this control becomes harder.
New risks with contactless services
When using contactless services, you need to watch for new risks, such as:
- More foot and car traffic in parking lots and curbside areas
- Confusion about pickup zones
- More chances for trips and falls in new outdoor waiting areas
- Exposure to weather while waiting outside
If you’re thinking about a claim, be aware of these new risks. Should you get hurt, take action right away. Write down what happened and where. Take photos if you can. Ask any witnesses for their contact information.
Addressing safety concerns
La Jolla businesses are actively tackling these new challenges. Many have added safety measures, like better outdoor lighting, clear signs for pickup zones and regular upkeep of expanded service areas.
When considering a premises liability claim, check if the business took steps to keep these new service areas safe. California’s comparative negligence law might reduce your compensation if you partly caused the accident.
You have two years from the day you got hurt to file a personal injury claim in California. Consider asking an experienced personal injury lawyer for assistance to meet legal requirements and strengthen your case.
As contactless services evolve, stay alert to potential risks. Understanding these changes helps create a safer community for everyone.