Premises Liability Law
Attorney Representation in Phoenix Arizona Since 1996
Arizona Premises Liability Lawyer
What kind of compensation could I expect for a slip and fall accident under Arizona premises liability law?
Plaintiffs can ask for two types of damages, compensatory and punitive, though punitive damages do not apply in most personal injury cases. Compensatory damages included losses to person or his or her property, and may include an estimated value for pain and suffering, broken or lost property, missed vacation time, lost wages, future loss of income, and medical expenses. Punitive damages, which are generally not awarded in most Arizona premises liability cases, are to punish property owners who intentionally seek to cause injury. Pursuing punitive damages in such cases is not to compensate the injury victim, but rather to punish the party responsible for causing the injury.
Do you need a lawyer in order to bring a claim for a slip and fall accident?
Any claimant can file for damages on his or her own, according to Arizona law. This said, statistics and common sense suggest that having a professional personal injury lawyer on your side will increase your chances considerably for recovering fair compensation. Attorneys generally take personal injury claims, which would include Arizona premises liability claims, on a contingency basis, meaning that legal fees are not paid unless and until the plaintiff receives compensation through a victory in court or settlement. In this way, someone with a personal injury claim can pursue a claim through the legal system without having vast resources available, as very often people injured in such situations do not have the funds available to pay high legal fees upfront. As different lawyers have different payment plans, it is important to understand both your rights and obligations before you hire a lawyer for your personal injury claim.
What factors may determine whether a Phoenix Arizona premises liability claim has merit and can be pursued?
There are many variables involved in any Phoenix Arizona personal injury case. Carelessness or negligence by the plaintiff may affect the claim. If a person were running in an area where he or she should have been walking, trespassing, ignoring cautionary signs, entering a hazardous area without appropriate protection, taking extraordinary risks, or otherwise acting in a manner incongruent with what a normally prudent and cautious person of average intelligence would, the value of the claim may be diminished greatly in value, or even not exist at all. On the other hand, if the property owner or other responsible party was openly negligent, the chances of securing a settlement or fair verdict would increase dramatically. For instance, if a property owner failed to post signs around an area of uneven pavement or to fix a broken stair, and both of these were known hazards, the evidence of this would strengthen a claim.
In order to learn more about your legal options and your ability to claim for damages under Arizona law, we invite you to browse SlipAndFallLawyersArizona.com or to contact us at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. The husband and wife team of Alexis and Mark Breyer will be happy to analyze your claim and give you the information you need to decide whether to pursue an Arizona premises liability claim.