Any type of flooring can become a major slip or trip hazard if a landowner does not keep it in good working order or if the construction crew responsible did not build it properly. Hazards such as broken boards, cracked concrete, uneven risers, or an unreasonable lack of lighting can be extremely dangerous if they occur on, or worse, near the very top of, an indoor or outdoor stairwell.
Stairwell accidents in Mesa can lead to very serious injuries, which means that civil claims based on incidents of this nature must often seek restitution for numerous short-term and long-term losses. Securing the compensation you deserve for the full effects of your injuries now and in the future can be very difficult to manage on your own, but the seasoned slip and fall attorneys at Phillips Law Group can help you more effectively enforce your rights.
Holding a Mesa landowner legally liable for a slip-and-fall injury sustained in a stairwell on their property requires the injured person to prove that the accident happened solely because of a specific structural hazard that the landowner failed to fix or warn them about, despite their duty of care to do so. The injured person must also establish that the compensation they are seeking through a lawsuit or settlement demand is for losses caused directly by the slip-and-fall injury and that the injury was the direct result of the accident.
Taking a few photographs of the hazard that caused a stairway accident can be a big help when it comes to establishing both the existence and the inherent danger of that hazard. To prove the relevance of particular injuries, medical records are critical to any civil claim of this nature, which is just one of many reasons why anyone who has experienced a fall in a stairwell on someone else’s property should prioritize seeking immediate medical attention.
In many cases, Mesa landowners being sued over injuries sustained in stairwell accidents will try to accuse the person suing them of being partly at fault for the accident through their own irresponsible actions. Accusations might include running through a stairwell instead of walking or wearing shoes with no tread. If the injured person fails to effectively contest such allegations, a court may reduce their available compensation by the percentage of comparative fault it assigns to them in accordance with Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-2505.
Another potential legal obstacle worth knowing about in advance is the statute of limitations, codified in Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542, which gives most prospective personal injury plaintiffs a maximum of two years to file suit after initially sustaining harm. Guidance from a knowledgeable legal professional can be vital to ensuring that these and other legal barriers do not unduly impede the pursuit of fair financial restitution.
Falling down a staircase under any circumstances can lead to physical trauma with life-altering or even life-threatening consequences. However, if you can trace your accident to a specific irresponsible act by a specific property owner or manager, you may have grounds to sue over the harm you have sustained and demand full financial recovery from the people truly at fault for it.
The assistance of a lawyer experienced in dealing with stairwell accidents in Mesa can be crucial to achieving the best possible case result. Call today for a confidential consultation.
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