Slip and Fall Lawyer Serving Ukiah and Mendocino County

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Hiking on private land in Mendocino County, I tripped and fell. Is the landowner responsible?

Liability is limited in that situation. Under Civil Code section 846, a property owner owes no duty to keep the premises safe for recreational use, such as hiking, or to warn of hazards, except as the statute provides. One exception is a willful or malicious failure to guard or warn against a dangerous condition. The Law Offices of J. Chrisp serves people hurt in falls in Ukiah and across Mendocino County.

Jesse Chrisp founded the Law Offices of J. Chrisp in 2010. Its consultations are free, its fee is a contingency fee, and there is no fee unless we win. The firm has Spanish-speaking staff, and calls to 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477) are answered 24/7.

Two more exceptions to the recreational use rule

Section 846 does not limit liability that otherwise exists in two other situations:

Paid entry. Permission to enter for the recreational purpose was granted for a consideration. Consideration paid to the landowner by the state does not count. The exception also covers cases where consideration was received from others for the same purpose.
Express invitation. The landowner expressly invited the injured person onto the premises. Being merely permitted to come on is not enough.

The statute adds that it does not itself create a duty of care or a ground of liability for injury.

Dangerous property result

The firm’s case results page lists $5,000,000 in a case involving a dangerous pool that caused a child’s brain injury. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Claims against the City of Ukiah or Mendocino County

The City of Ukiah asks that a completed and signed claim form be mailed or hand delivered to the City Clerk, City of Ukiah, 300 Seminary Ave, Ukiah, CA 95482. Hard copy forms are available from the City Clerk’s Office or the Risk Management Department. For a claim against the County, Mendocino County’s County Counsel points to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. That office is at 501 Low Gap Road, Room 1010, Ukiah, CA 95482.

Personal injury claims against a public entity carry a six-month presentation period that begins when the cause of action accrues (Government Code section 911.2). A late claim may still be possible through a written application for leave, made within a reasonable time and no more than one year after accrual (section 911.4). After a claim is rejected, a lawsuit generally must be filed within six months after written notice of the rejection is personally delivered or mailed. If no such notice is given, the limit is two years from accrual (section 945.6).

The Mendocino County court and the two-year limit

For a fall on private property, the usual lawsuit deadline is two years (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). The two years start to run once the cause of action accrues, unless a statute prescribes a different limitation for a special case (section 312). Section 395 names the superior court in the county where the injury occurs as a proper court, except as otherwise provided by law (section 395). For a fall in Ukiah or elsewhere in Mendocino County, that is the Superior Court of California, County of Mendocino, whose Ukiah courthouse is at 100 North State Street, Ukiah, CA 95482.

Offices and service area

The firm does not have an office in Ukiah or anywhere in Mendocino County. Mendocino County, including Ukiah, is part of its service area, which also covers Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties and the San Francisco Bay Area. Its offices are in Lower Lake (main office, 9667 Highway 29, Lower Lake, CA 95457), Santa Rosa (3558 Round Barn Blvd, Suite 200, Santa Rosa, CA 95403) and San Francisco (1330 Bush Street, Suite 9D, San Francisco, CA 94109).

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a recreational purpose under Civil Code section 846?

The statute lists activities such as fishing, hunting, camping, water sports, hiking, riding, rock collecting, sightseeing, picnicking, nature study, recreational gardening and winter sports. It also includes viewing or enjoying historical, archaeological, scenic, natural or scientific sites.

If a landowner says I can hike there, is the landowner promising the land is safe?

Permission alone is not that promise. Under section 846, giving someone permission to enter for a recreational purpose does not, by itself, extend any assurance that the premises are safe for that purpose.

What should I attach to a claim against the City of Ukiah?

The City’s risk management page mentions copies of invoices, receipts or pictures documenting your damages.

Can I go straight to small claims court against the City of Ukiah?

The City says a claim must first have been filed with the City and rejected before a small claims case is filed.

If you were hurt in a fall on someone else’s property in Ukiah or anywhere in Mendocino County, call the Law Offices of J. Chrisp 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477) for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win.

About the Law Offices of J. Chrisp

The Law Offices of J. Chrisp is a Northern California personal injury law firm founded by attorney Jesse Chrisp, who was raised in Lake County. The firm represents injured people, with offices in Lower Lake (main office), Santa Rosa and San Francisco, and serves Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties and the San Francisco Bay Area. Consultations are free, the firm works on a contingency fee with no fee unless the firm wins, and the phone is answered 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477). The firm was named to Best Law Firms 2026 (Tier 1, Santa Rosa, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs). Jesse Chrisp has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America since 2024 and selected to Super Lawyers from 2023 to 2026.