Phoenix Premises Liability Attorney

In order to determine if you have a case and are entitled to compensation, you must be able to prove a number of elements that are required in premises liability cases. These elements include:

• Duty of Care: It must be demonstrated that the defendant owned, occupied, or leased the property, which would make that person responsible for maintaining a safe environment for all visitors. This is referred to as “duty of care.”
• Breach of Duty: Once you have established the defendant was the party responsible for providing a safe environment, you must prove that he or she failed in that duty by neglecting to adequately maintain the property. A breach of duty occurs when the defendant had a reasonable opportunity to discover and correct a hazardous condition on his or her property, but neglected to do so.
• Causation of the Injury: You must be able to prove that the established breach of duty was the direct cause of the injury. This usually requires eyewitness testimony, photographic evidence, and medical records to prove the injury did not exist before the accident.
• Damages: The final element that must be demonstrated in a premises liability claim is that the injury victim suffered damages as a result of the injury. This can include medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Proving all of the required elements of a premises liability claim can be difficult. Our Phoenix premises liability attorneys are experienced in investigating and building these types of cases and will guide you through the entire process.

Determining how much your claim is worth depends on the circumstances surrounding your claim. Through a free consultation, our Phoenix premise liability attorneys will be able to determine how much your claim may be worth. Some common forms of compensation that are often awarded in personal injury cases include:

Arizona law prevents any caps on the damages that can be recovered in a personal injury lawsuit.

However, it is important to note that Arizona follows the rule of comparative negligence, which means you may be entitled to less compensation if it can be demonstrated that your actions were partially responsible for the accident that caused your injury.

In order to be awarded full compensation in a personal injury case, you must prove that you are not guilty of any negligence that might have contributed to the accident.

In cases of wrongful death, the court will award damages as it sees fit based on the circumstances of the case.

In Arizona, a property owner may be held liable for an accident on his or her property if the owner:

• Was aware that dangerous conditions existed on his or her property, or the condition existed long enough that he or she should have known about it, yet neglected to correct the condition.
• Willfully or maliciously caused the conditions that led to the injury or death.
• Did not adequately warn guests or visitors about the dangerous condition that existed on the property.

In cases of premises liability involving a business, even if the owner had no knowledge that the dangerous condition existed, he or she may still be held liable if you are able to prove:

• The property owner practiced methods of operating the business that could reasonably anticipate that dangerous conditions would regularly occur.
• The property owner failed to prevent harm from occurring under those conditions.

The guidelines for proving negligence are strict in Arizona and require an attorney who is able to investigate and identify the cause of an accident on another’s property. Our Phoenix premises liability attorneys are well-versed in Arizona law and have the resources to investigate your claim.

Arizona law establishes different levels of care that property owners are required to provide to various types of visitors.

• Invitees: This includes visitors who are on the property for commercial reasons, such as a business customer, maintenance worker, or solicitor. The property owner must provide an adequate warning of any dangerous conditions.
• Licensee: Considered to be anyone invited to the property as the owner’s guest, this can include a family member, friend, or social visitor. In the event of an accident, a property owner is liable if he or she was aware of a dangerous condition but did not provide an adequate warning. The property owner is left to determine what a reasonable warning would be depending on the situation.
• Trespasser: A person who is on the property illegally or without the implied permission of the property’s owner. A trespasser can hold a property owner liable only if the property owner willfully or maliciously injured the trespasser.
• Children have a different set of standards when it comes to premises liability, which include:
  • Child licensee: A property owner may be held liable for injuries suffered by a child guest if he or she was not provided adequate warning of the property’s dangerous conditions. The adequacy of this warning depends on the child’s level of intelligence, ability to appreciate such a warning, and the extent to which the dangers were concealed on the property.
  • Child Trespasser: The owner of the property can be held liable for an injury or the death of a child trespasser if he or she knew, or should have known, that children could trespass on the property, if there was a dangerous condition that children were especially susceptible to, if the child was of a young age and did not understand the risk of harm involved in trespassing, or if the property owner failed to use reasonable care in protecting children on his or her property.

Whether visiting a business or a friend’s home, people have a right to expect safety and security when on another’s property. Our Phoenix premises liability attorneys are dedicated to helping injured victims or families who lost a loved one due to a property owner’s negligence.

Contact our Phoenix premises liability attorneys to learn more in a free consultation.

Premises liability accidents can be caused by a number of dangerous conditions, which can include:

These conditions can lead to serious injuries that may result in life-long complications that can accumulate massive medical bills while also preventing the victim from living a fulfilled life.

The Phoenix premises liability attorneys at the Phillips Law Group will identify the negligent party that is liable for the accident that resulted in your or your loved one’s injuries and suffering. We will help you recover from a traumatic accident and help hold the at-fault party accountable for his or her actions.

There are several types of claims that encompass premises liability. Each accident has the potential to cause serious injuries. Our Phoenix premises liability attorneys are experienced in handling a variety of types of claims, including:

Slip and Fall

An accident involving slip and fall injuries often occurs when the victim was not warned of slick, wet, icy, or snow-covered surfaces. If the wet surfaces became unsafe because of the property owner’s failure to correct the dangerous condition, he or she is liable for any accidents that occur. This can include failing to clean up a spill in a grocery store, among other things.

Construction site accidents

Construction areas are dangerous and are often the site of accidents that cause severe injuries. There are many federal and state regulations designed to ensure the safety of workers and the public. If a property owner does not equip the site with these features, he or she is liable for any accidents that result in injury or death. If a worker is injured, he or she should be able to recover compensation from workers’ compensation. However, there may be additional options for recovering compensation as well.

Negligent security

Property owners are legally required to ensure the safety of a property, especially if crimes have occurred in the area in the past. It is their responsibility to ensure visitors to the property do not become victims of rape, assault, drug crimes, abduction, robbery, murder, or other crimes.

If the property is in a location with a reasonably foreseeable likelihood of crime, the owner should take appropriate measures to keep people safe while on their premises. This can include utilizing proper lighting, fences, barriers, or adequate door locks.

Cases of negligent security can occur anywhere, including apartment buildings, hotels, shopping centers, bars, parking garages, nightclubs, college campuses, amusement parks, workplaces, and public buildings.

Dog bites

In Arizona, dog owners are strictly liable if their dog bites or attacks another person, regardless of if the owner was negligent or if the incident occurred while the victim was lawfully on the owner’s property. The owner is liable for any damages suffered by the bitten victim.

Swimming pool accidents

Landlords and property owners have an obligation to provide adequate protection to prevent swimming pool accidents from occurring, such as utilizing a guard rail, fence, or barrier to prevent young children from entering a pool where they could drown. If these protections are not provided, and a swimming pool accident leads to a drowning or injury, the property owner or landlord can be held liable.

Amusement park accidents

Theme parks can be highly susceptible to accidents that result in head, neck, and back injuries, as well as wrongful death. These are often attributed to poor property maintenance, such as mechanical failures and inadequate safety features on rides and attractions. You may be able to file a premises liability claim if inadequate maintenance or security directly caused your accident.

Elevator/escalator accidents

If an escalator or elevator has not been properly inspected or maintained or if needed repairs have been neglected, the accident victim or his or her family may be able to file a premises liability claim. Property owners who have an escalator/elevator on their property are required to properly maintain and comply with federal inspections.

Fires

Business owners, building management, and residential property owners are required to provide adequate safety measures that prevent fire hazards or extinguish a fire once it has started. If a property owner neglects to provide proper safety measures, such as fire escapes, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, an adequate means of escape, clear pathways to exit doors, smoke monitors, or fire alarms, he or she may be held liable for any injuries or deaths that result.

Toxic chemicals

Exposure to toxic chemicals can result in deadly conditions and horrific injuries. An owner of a property that knowingly has toxic chemicals contained on the premises has a duty to prevent the public from being exposed to any fatal toxins. This could include buildings lined with asbestos, garages or machines that contain dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, toxic mold, agricultural areas or residences that possess deadly pesticides, or metals or paints that contain lead. Property owners have an obligation to ensure these deadly chemicals are properly contained and do not risk exposure to the public.