You likely already know from experience how a little liquid on a tiled floor can make it challenging to keep your balance. Unfortunately, you may even have recently suffered a serious injury after slipping and falling on a wet surface that a landowner did not properly clean up or warn you about in advance.
Fortunately, lawyers can help you claim civil compensation for injuries and accident-related losses stemming from wet floor accidents in Glendale. You may have a hard time getting a favorable result from this type of claim on your own. However, the seasoned slip and fall lawyers at Phillips Law Group—a firm that has been locally owned and operated in the Phoenix metro area for over 30 years—can help you get the compensation you are entitled to.
Are Landowners Always Legally Liable for Wet Floor Injuries?
When someone gets hurt in a slip and fall accident, they may assume that the owner of the property where their accident occurred is automatically at fault for their injuries. However, landowners only hold civil fault for accidents on their property that stem from their failure to fulfill a duty of care owed to a visitor. Additionally, the nature of that duty of care changes depending on why a particular visitor was on the landowner’s property to begin with.
For example, if someone has a mishap on a slick surface while illegally trespassing on someone else’s Glendale property, they will not generally have grounds to file suit, because the landowner has no legal obligation to protect them from accidental injury under those circumstances. Conversely, landowners have a duty to warn lawful visitors about known slipping and tripping hazards and to address those hazards reasonably soon after discovering them. Commercial property owners in particular are expected to inspect their property regularly to discover and quickly address new hazards.
How Comparative Fault Can Affect a Civil Claim
Even if a landowner has a duty of care to protect a visitor and then fails to fulfill that duty, resulting in injuries, the visitor may encounter difficulties with comparative fault. Comparative fault is the degree to which an injured person is to blame for causing or unnecessarily worsening their injuries through their own misconduct—for instance, by wearing shoes with no tread or by running in a place where they should have been walking.
In accordance with Arizona Revised Statutes §12-2505, courts overseeing premises’ liability claims can assign a percentage of comparative fault to plaintiffs and reduce the value of the plaintiff’s final damage award by that same percentage. This is often an obstacle to effective civil recovery in claims for injuries caused by falls due to spills, but an experienced Glendale lawyer can help navigate this.
Contact a Glendale Attorney To Claim Damages for Your Slip Injury
Slipping on a wet floor can quickly lead to long-lasting and potentially even life-altering injuries. In addition, it can be challenging to successfully file suit for the damages you deserve, especially if you have little experience with personal injury litigation.
Knowledgeable slip and fall lawyers are essential for getting the best possible claim outcomes for wet floor accidents in Glendale. To discuss your case, call Phillips Law Group today to schedule an initial free, no-obligation consultation with a member of our legal team.
Available 24/7