It is truly essential in Arizona to contact an experienced slip and fall attorney if you have suffered a slip and fall accident in a store or supermarket. Slip and fall accidents are common--so common in fact that people injured in slip and fall accidents may not know that they may have a right to compensation for their injuries. As such, it is essential to consult an an experienced slip and fall attorney to see whether you may have a valid claim.
Liability for a slip and fall accident depends on a number of factors. Why was the injured party on the premises? A social guest? A business patron? A trespasser? The answer to these questions determine the standard of care the owner of the premises needs to follow. An experienced slip and fall attorney can explain how the answers to these questions determine whether or not you have a good case.
When a person is invited onto the property for a social purpose, the owner owes a duty. In a purely social settings, the owner of the premises is liable for any concealed conditions which the owner knows about in advance. This means that the possessor must protect his guests from any traps that he knows of on his property. This standard does not really apply to a supermarket patron, as they are not a social guest. They are called an invitee.
When the owner holds the building open to the public for a business purpose, the owner must not only protect from artificial and natural conditions that are concealed and known to the owner, but also from any artificial or natural conditions that could have been discovered through a reasonable inspection. This is the classic slip and fall liability case. Where another patron dropped a bottle of water, the owner of the premises may be expected to find and protect other patrons from that hazardous condition.
Lastly, there may be no liability to the owner of premises for the injury of a trespasser. This is because when a person shuts his or her property off to the public, the law will not punish that person when one wrongfully wrongly enters that property and becomes injured. So, if a slip and fall accident occurs after a store has closed, for example, a court may not hold the owner liable for the injury. (And, just because you fall at Walmart does not mean that you will have a case. Walmart is subject to the same standards and protections of every other business in Arizona.)
If you have suffered an injury in a slip and fall accident, consult an experienced slip and fall attorney in Arizona. Look for experience, look for a proven trial lawyer, find a certified specialist in personal injury who knows and understands the basis of liability in Arizona for a slip and fall case. Find a certified specialist who will help you get the answers and recovery you are entitled. Call the Zachar Law Firm today for a free, no obligation consultation at (602) 494-4800.
