Slips and falls can make for funny scenes in a comedy TV show or movie, but a real slip-and-fall accident is nothing to laugh at. Falling on a broken staircase or slipping on a spilled drink can create serious and costly injuries. Suppose you suffered a slip and fall accident in Chandler, AZ, and you sustained injuries. In that case, chances are the property owner bears legal liability for your losses, from medical bills to lost wages and even pain and suffering.
A slip-and-fall lawyer in Chandler, AZ, will do everything from A to Z to skillfully present your claim to insurers and your case to juries and get you the compensation you deserve. Call us today for a free, no-obligation case review.
Slip and Fall Accidents Occur Because of Property Owner Negligence
No victim of a slip and fall is ever prepared for the incident. Nor can property owners expect that somebody is going to injure themselves in this manner on their property. However, they can have protocols in place for properly handling a hazard on their premises.
Here is a list of common causes of slips and falls:
- Unstable floorings, such as loose rugs or tiles
- Failing to follow safety codes
- Inadequate lighting
- Clutter in walkways
- Unsecured cords or cables
- Slippery floors from spills, rain, mud, or snow
- Loose stair treads or broken handrails
- Unmarked curbs
- Potholes in parking lots
- Cracks in sidewalks or uneven sidewalks
Zanes Law accepts all these—and any type—of slip and fall case where a property owner or other party should have taken steps to prevent your accident and failed to do so.
For a free legal consultation with a slip and fall accidents lawyer serving Chandler, call 866-499-8989
Property Owners Have a Duty to Keep Their Properties Safe for Occupants
Gravity is a part of the world. Things fall, we trip, we slip, and we fall. Sometimes slip-and-fall accidents are just accidents. The property owner should take responsibility.
Duty of Care
A key personal injury law concept, known as the “duty of care” principle, is the basis for slip and fall claims. Personal injury courts consider a property owner legally responsible for damages related to slips and fall on their property when the following is accurate:
- The property owner or one of their employees most likely knew about the slip and fall hazard (or created the hazard) but did not act to repair it or warn property occupants.
- The property owner or one of their employees should have known about the hazard based on the assumption that a “reasonable” person in the same position would have discovered the hazard and taken action to resolve it.
Causation and Damages
Our legal team will prove the “duty of care” arguments in your slip and fall case, adding to the above the important elements that:
- The property owner’s breach of this duty of care caused you to slip and fall.
- You suffered physical, economic, and emotional losses as a result.
Zanes Law will do everything from A to Z to build an airtight case of negligence that will get you the compensation you deserve.
Chandler Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Near Me 866-499-8989
Understanding Premises Liability Law and Slip and Falls
The Arizona tort law branch, known as “premises liability,” deals with claims arising from accidents like slip and fall incidents. Legal doctrine is based on the idea that property owners and managers have to ensure the safety of their premises for the benefit of legitimate visitors.
The responsibilities of property owners and managers toward visitors vary according to the nature of the guests. Trespassers bear the lowest responsibility of care. The sole obligation owed by a property owner to a trespasser is to not knowingly put them in danger by placing traps.
Tenants have a lower responsibility of care than invitees and licensees. Visitors invited into someone else’s property do so at the host’s request and for the host’s advantage; such visitors are called invitees.
A licensee is a person legally permitted to be on the premises of another person to conduct business or social activities. Property owners have a responsibility to take reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of anybody legally on their premises, such as mail carriers, meter readers, and package delivery drivers.
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Who Can Be Held Responsible for Chandler Slip-And-Fall Accidents?
The fact that a person was trespassing does not change their liability for injuries sustained in a slip-and-fall accident on another person’s property. Arizona law requires property owners to take several precautions to ensure the safety of their visitors.
The nature of injuries determines a property owner’s liability for the actions of their guests. In Arizona, three types of visitors can be held liable:
- Invitee: Any visitor who is there on official business. The property owner is responsible to the invitee to ensure the safety of the premises.
- Licensee: When someone gets permission to enter a building but doesn’t use it for what the owner intended. This is the case for people who are invited to a social event.
- Trespasser: One who breaks into a house or property without permission. Under Arizona state law, they have a duty of care to make their premises reasonably safe for anyone who lawfully enters them.
Liability for a slip-and-fall accident may be complicated for several reasons, especially if the event happened on a shared property or in a common area between two separate properties. With the help of an adept Chandler slip-and-fall attorney, you can succeed in your case.
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What if You Were at Fault for the Slip and Fall?
Some people who fall tend to blame themselves. However, it’s possible that the accident wasn’t your responsibility. Your slip-and-fall attorney in Chandler will investigate the circumstances surrounding your fall accident to establish fault and evaluate the validity of your claim.
Arizona follows a pure comparative fault system under ARS 12-2505. The law suggests that everyone is answerable for their level of wrongdoing. With this law on your side, it won’t matter whether you were even a little to blame for the accident that led to your injuries.
So, if you were also at fault, the amount you will receive will be decreased accordingly. If you are given a gross judgment of $100,000 but found to be 20% at blame, you will only get $80,000.
Slips and Falls Yield Serious Injuries
The National Floor Safety Institute estimates the total cost of injuries due to falls ranges from $13 to $14 million per year.
Common injuries resulting from slip and fall accidents include:
- Bone fractures
- Spinal cord injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Sprains
- Hip fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
These are painful, debilitating injuries, and their treatment costs a significant amount of money—not any easy payment to swing, especially if you have missed time at work due to your injuries. Zanes Law will do everything from A to Z to see that you recover your damages.
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