Staircase fall accident claims are more involved than flat surface slip and fall cases. Walking up or down the stairs is inherently more dangerous than navigating flat ground. Some stairs, however, have defects and hazards that cause accidents that could have been prevented.
Property owners owe a duty of care to maintain stairways and handrails and can be held liable for injuries in the same way they could if someone slipped and fell on the property. As in every premises liability claim, the courts and adjusters will investigate your involvement in the accident.
You may need a lawyer to help you prove that hazardous conditions existed and caused you to fall. The Phoenix staircase fall accident attorneys with Zanes Law may be able to protect you from allegations of liability and can help you in your pursuit of compensation for your injuries.
When Can You File a Lawsuit in a Staircase Fall Accident in Arizona?
In order to have the grounds for a successful premises liability claim, you need to be able to prove that the owner of the property was responsible for your injuries. It needs to be proven that their actions or inaction caused the hazardous condition that led to your fall.
In Arizona and most other states, property owners are legally required to keep staircases and steps in a reasonably safe condition. This means that they should be free of debris, clutter, broken handrails, and the like.
A commercial property owner will generally be held to a higher standard than a residential homeowner, so the property your accident occurred on will also matter. A staircase fall accident lawyer in Phoenix will need to prove one of the following:
- The property owner or employee caused a hazardous condition that led to your fall
- The owner or property manager had knowledge of the danger and did not act to remedy the situation
- They should have known about the hazard and corrected it because any reasonable person would have done so
For a free legal consultation with a staircase fall accidents lawyer serving Phoenix, call 866-499-8989
Causes of Stairway Accidents
In the United States, over a million people seek emergency room treatment for stair-related injuries each year. While everyone can probably admit that they have tripped and lost footing on stairs, sometimes there are conditions present on the staircase that create a fall hazard.
Here are some common staircase hazards:
Liquids or Ice
While Phoenix doesn’t see much snow or ice, grease, oils, spilled beverages, or cleaning products may be present on the stairs. If your fall was due to slippery substances on stairs and the owner should have known about it, you may have legal grounds for a premises liability lawsuit.
Dark Staircase
Climbing or descending a staircase in low light conditions can be dangerous. When poor lighting prevents you from seeing obstructions or footing clearance, a fall is more likely to occur.
If the lighting in the stairwell is dim, the bulb needs to be replaced, or the fixture is broken and the property manager failed to take action, they can be held liable for your accident.
A stairway fall accident lawyer can help you to find out if evidence exists that proves the property management company or owner was negligent.
Slick and Slippery Surfaces
Polished wood, worn cement, and worn carpet are all slippery. Certain surfaces, such as worn carpets or highly-polished wood, are particularly slippery. One way your attorney can help to validate your claim is to have a civil engineer measure the coefficient of friction (COF) present on the stairs.
This COF is a mathematical way to determine how slippery the flooring materials are. If they have a low COF, that means that the materials used in the stairs are inherently slippery. This evidence can help to bolster the strength of your claim.
Handrails and Stair Construction Issues
Handrails are there for a reason. They are meant to help people keep their balance while climbing stairs. If a handrail is the wrong height, non-existent, loose, or broken, people can fall down the stairs.
The height of each riser and the depth of each tread should also be easy for people to step up and down on. Skinny stairs or risers that are too high can result in falls and injuries that could have been avoided.
The building code should address the requirements of handrails, stair depths and heights. Your personal injury lawyer will help to determine whether these requirements were violated.
Obstructions and Other Hazards
If the stairway is cluttered with trash or debris or tools have been left in the stairway by a maintenance crew, people can trip and fall when navigating stairs. A missing step, uneven steps, or warped stairs can also make stairs unsafe.
Rips in carpeting can cause trip hazards that lead to staircase accidents as well. If you suspect your fall was because of negligence or want to know more about the legal options available for pursuing compensation, a staircase fall accident attorney can evaluate your claim at no cost.
Phoenix Staircase Fall Accident Lawyer Near Me 866-499-8989
Staircase Fall Injuries
Falling down a flight of stairs isn’t a minor incident. The injury victim can suffer lifelong debilitating injuries, head trauma, or even death. Even less serious cases can result in painful broken bones and sprains that interrupt your normal activities and disrupt your life.
Some of the most common injuries in staircase fall accidents we see are:
- Bone fractures
- Hand and wrist injuries
- Knee injuries
- Foot injuries
- Broken ankle
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Bruising, lacerations
- Back, spine, and neck injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Dislocations
Many accidents are caused by negligence and a fall down the stairs can be very serious. If you haven’t been evaluated by a medical professional, do so immediately. Late-onset injuries can be masked by adrenaline and your health can be at risk.
A Phoenix staircase fall accident lawyer may be able to help you to pursue a premises liability claim to seek compensation for your medical bills and other losses.
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Contact Staircase Fall Accident Lawyers to Learn More
After a fall down stairs, the pain and financial pressure can be highly stressful for the injury victim. The treatment can involve expensive medical imaging, long-term physical therapy, and repeated doctor visits.
The Phoenix staircase fall accident attorneys of Zanes Law have helped injured victims to prove their claims of premises liability and collect compensation in cases like yours. We know that financial awards and settlements can be critically important to our clients, and we understand the impact that our work can have.
When the accident was caused by negligence, you should not have to pay the bills. We work hard to maximize your financial recovery and ensure your needs are met. We care about protecting the rights of injury victims. Contact us today to learn more about your legal options.
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