Phoenix Slip and Fall Accident Attorney
If you slipped on wet floors, greasy surfaces, ice, snow, sludge, debris, or some other hazard and fell and suffered an injury, speak with an experienced slip and fall attorney. Slip and fall accidents are the most common cause of premises liability claims in Arizona. When a slip and fall occurs on someone else’s property, the courts might hold the property owner legally responsible. This means the property owner could owe accident victims financial compensation for their damages. Slip and falls come under the umbrella of “premises liability” or a category regarding property owner liability.
A slip and fall can result in broken bones, head and brain injuries, spine injuries, soft tissue injuries, and more. Damages can be severe, painful, and expensive. To get the most out of a slip and fall personal injury claim, you need help from an attorney. Cruz & Associates has slip and fall attorneys ready to help in Phoenix and wants to hear about your recent injuries.
Your Rights to Safety on Someone Else’s Property
In Phoenix, Arizona, property visitors expect a reasonably safe environment. When shopping at a grocery store, walking around a mall, crossing a parking lot, visiting a school campus, swimming in a community pool, hiking in a public park, or visiting a friend’s house, you have rights. Property owners of all types must take reasonable steps to keep premises free from defects or hazards, including slip and trip hazards, which are common causes of fall accidents.
What is “reasonable” for a property owner to do depends on the circumstances. For example, it might be reasonable to expect the owner (or an employee) of a grocery store to put up a “Caution: Wet Floors” sign at the entrance of an establishment if it’s been raining out for several minutes. If a slip and fall occurred 30 seconds after it started raining, however, the courts might rule the defendant could not have reasonably put up a warning sign in time to prevent the accident. Understanding property owner responsibilities often takes communicating with a premises liability attorney.
The duties a property owner owes you will vary depending on your status as a visitor. Invitees enjoy the most duties of care, as people the owner invites onto the property. Customers at a business are examples of invitees. Licensees, or people who enter the premises for their own purposes (such as a salesperson) receive fewer duties of care but should still expect safe premises. Trespassers (except minors) are the only property visitors to whom property owners do not owe duties of care. To learn your status and a property owner’s duties of care, talk to one of our knowledgeable attorneys.
Should You Hire a Slip and Fall Lawyer?
If your injuries are catastrophic, an experienced attorney can help you with possible avenues for compensation. A “catastrophic” injury is one that causes permanent disability, such as many paralyzing spinal cord injuries, or one that results in long-lasting pain, scarring, or disfigurement. You should also hire an attorney for more minor injuries to make sure an insurance company is offering you a settlement in the amount your injuries deserve. If you have any questions, don’t know how to file a claim, want to bring a personal injury lawsuit, or are simply at a loss for what to do, talk to an attorney.
The premises liability lawyers at Cruz & Associates have years of experience handling slip and fall claims in both Phoenix and throughout Arizona. Our team can walk you through the litigation process, from filing a claim before the deadline to handling a workers’ compensation claim. Speak to one of our attorneys during a free consultation, and let us hear the details of your unique case. We can help you decide what to do from there. Contact us today to get started. Se habla Español.