Slip and fall accidents can result in catastrophic injuries. They are extremely common, rating as the number one cause of accidental injury in the United States. They account for one million hospital visits each year and are the primary cause of lost days of work. Often, they also lead to disabling injuries that prevent people from working at all.
If you’ve suffered an injury because of a slip and fall accident, you may be entitled to receive compensation. At Valley Injury Team, our Arizona personal injury lawyers can help you understand your rights and file a claim. Learn more about how these accidents occur and what compensation you can receive.
Slip and fall accidents fall under the category of premises liability claims, so it’s important to understand what these involve. An Arizona property owner or manager has a responsibility to keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors. If they don’t and you suffer an accident that results in an injury, you can file a claim.
To be successful in proving that you deserve compensation, you must demonstrate that the person had a duty to maintain safe conditions on the property. To do so, you need to prove that they owned or managed the property where the fall happened.
You also need to show that the defendant knew or should have known of the hazard that led to the accident and failed to take appropriate steps to warn visitors of the danger or fix the problem. You then have to show that the defendant’s breach of duty led to the injuries you suffered and that you can be compensated for those injuries.
In Arizona, the statute of limitations for premises liability claims is usually two years. There are instances, however, when you may have less time, especially if government entities are liable. That’s why it’s so crucial to contact our team of Arizona slip and fall lawyers as soon as possible after an accident.
Slip and fall accidents can occur for many reasons, from wet or uneven floors to poor lighting.
Handrails are essential for keeping people safe as they go up steps or even travel across walkways. If these handrails are damaged in any way or if they’re missing, you may not have the support you need to stay upright. This can be a significant issue for older people or those with disabilities.
Wet or uneven floors are the most common cause of slip and fall accidents. Related issues can include:
If the floor is wet because of washing or weather conditions, property owners have a responsibility to warn visitors of the danger.
Property owners have a responsibility to also ensure visitors can see where they’re walking. If there’s not enough lighting or lights aren’t positioned in the right spots, you can miss seeing obstacles. Walkways, stairways, and steps have to be well-lit at all times in public areas or worksites.
Falls are very common in construction sites, warehouses, and a number of other job sites. Employers and managers have to maintain uncluttered premises to ensure workers don’t trip over electrical wires or other equipment.
They must also ensure all employees have appropriate training and the right safety gear to prevent them from falling and getting hurt. If they fail to do this, they could be found negligent.
Although it’s impossible to prevent weather from occurring, property owners can prevent accidents by removing snow and ice from their property. This includes public sidewalks. If you fall on a sidewalk because the entity in charge of maintaining it doesn’t take the necessary steps to remove the danger, you can hold them liable — that includes government entities.
Sometimes, people think of a fall as a minor accident, but it can lead to serious injuries that could leave you with mounting medical bills and long-term health issues. It’s common, for instance, to suffer fractures in a fall.
These injuries can keep you from living your life as you normally would and could make you miss days of work. That’s without mentioning the pain and suffering you can experience in the fall itself and throughout the recovery process.
Soft tissue injuries may not appear significant at first, but they can be severe as well. You could have tendon and other ligament injuries that could impact your mobility and can suffer sprains and strains that cause significant pain.
Some of the most severe injuries you can suffer in slip and fall accidents are spinal cord injuries. They can result in partial or complete paralysis, leaving you unable to live as you did before the accident and potentially impacting you for the rest of your life.
The most severe injuries are traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). They include concussions, which occur when you hit your head with enough force to shift the brain and hit it against your skull, resulting in bruising and brain cell damage. Although concussions are considered mild TBIs, they can leave you struggling with cognitive issues.
Diffuse axonal injuries are considered the most dangerous TBIs, and they can occur in people who fall from heights. They cause widespread lesions throughout the brain. Usually, those who suffer these injuries end up in comas.
If the accident you suffered was the result of someone’s negligent or wrongful conduct, you can file a personal injury claim and get compensation for your losses. You can claim economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages compensate you for financial losses. These include medical expenses, including any future care you will need if your injuries require significant or ongoing treatment.
You’ve likely missed work because of the injuries you suffered, and that means you’ve lost wages. Economic damages compensate you for the loss of earnings, commissions, bonuses, and other benefits you would have otherwise received. If you won’t be able to return to work, you can also claim loss of earning potential.
Non-economic damages compensate you for losses that aren’t as easily quantified because they’re not financial in nature. Pain and suffering are part of non-economic damages, as is loss of enjoyment of life. If a loved one died because of the accident, you can also claim loss of consortium.
Each case is unique, so it’s important to speak with our personal injury lawyers at Valley Injury Team to get an idea of what you can claim.
If you’ve been in a slip and fall accident and suffered injuries because the property owner or manager was negligent, you can file a claim to get compensation. Because this process isn’t a simple one, you should hire experienced personal injury lawyers to help you.
At Valley Injury Team, we offer the assistance you need. We have years of experience helping the people of Arizona fight for fair compensation. We know how to negotiate with insurance companies, and we never shy away from taking your case to court.
Schedule a free consultation with our Arizona slip and fall accident attorneys to learn more about filing a claim.
If you suffered injuries in an accident due to someone else’s negligence or wrong doing, you have the right to pursue compensation for your injuries and losses. At Valley Injury Team, we fight tirelessly to protect your rights and seek the compensation you need. We’re proud to serve clients throughout the Phoenix area, including Mesa, Gilbert, Tempe, Chandler, Scottsdale and Queen Creek.
Valley Injury Team is committed to helping you understand your legal rights and options, reducing your stress and uncertainty, and giving you the support you need during this challenging time. Contact us today to learn more in a free consultation.
