The Phoenix metro area gets very little rainfall, let alone snow or ice buildup, compared to most other parts of the country, so you might think that injuries caused by slipping on wet surfaces would be fairly rare here. In reality, however, most wet floor accidents in Mesa and across the United States happen inside commercial buildings, far from those buildings’ entrances, and many such accidents stem directly from reckless or careless actions by property owners or managers.
If you sustained injuries in a fall caused by an unmarked spill, recently cleaned tile floor, or a similar hazard while on someone else’s land, you may have the right to seek civil compensation from the landowner for the harm they have directly caused or irresponsibly allowed you to suffer. To achieve the best possible outcome from this type of claim, however, you should strongly consider seeking the help of an experienced premises liability lawyer from Phillips Law Group.
The basic idea behind premises liability law in the United States is that landowners must take reasonable precautions to protect visitors on their land from preventable injuries. However, the precise nature and extent of a landowner’s duty of care changes dramatically depending on why a particular person is visiting their land to begin with.
Landowners in Mesa are generally not liable for wet floor injuries sustained by unlawful trespassers, but if someone is visiting for their own purposes as a “licensee,” the landowner may be liable for injuries stemming from their failure to warn this person in advance about or block off a slipping hazard that they, the landowner, had direct knowledge of. If someone is an “invitee” visiting for the landowner’s financial benefit, such as a customer in a retail store, the landowner may additionally be liable for injuries caused by hazards they had constructive knowledge of, meaning hazards they should reasonably have discovered through their own or an employee’s regular inspection of the property.
If a property owner causes or allows a wet floor accident to occur on their Mesa property by violating their duty of care, the injured party can hold them financially liable for every negative effect that accident has had and will ever have on the injured party. Compensable damages include but are not strictly limited to:
The financial value of a wet floor injury lawsuit will thus depend on what injuries a specific plaintiff has suffered and what effects those injuries will have on their life. Support from legal counsel can be crucial in ensuring that a lawsuit or settlement demand accounts for every loss a particular incident is likely to cause.
Not all wet floor accidents in Mesa can necessarily justify a civil lawsuit, especially if there was already a “Wet Floor” sign present. However, if you sustained serious injuries after slipping and falling on a wet floor because no one warned you about a hazard that the property owner knew or should have known about, you may have grounds for civil recovery. A capable premises liability lawyer can help you pursue a claim.
Working with Phillips Law Group on a case of this type can make a huge difference in your experience of the legal process and how much compensation you ultimately recover. Call today to learn more.
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