Experienced Tempe Premises Liability Lawyers
Helping customers and visitors when property owners fail to secure their safety
While walking through a hotel, you fall because a piece of carpet was torn. While in the grocery store, you fall on spilled lemonade that was there since early morning. While in a restaurant, you trip and fall over some loose wires. Anyone who is on the property of a business, organization, or nonprofit has the right to expect that the owner of the property will ensure that the property has been inspected for any potential dangers.
At Plattner Verderame, P.C., our Tempe premises liability lawyers have been representing injury victims since 1981. We work to show the owner of the property failed to make necessary repairs or failed to provide warnings of any known dangers or risks that the owner should have known about. We inspect the accident site, view prior claims against the property owners and maintenance records, speak with witnesses, and pursue every avenue to show that the property owner was negligent. Our lawyers demand justice for your injury by demanding liable owners pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Who may be liable for a Tempe product liability fall, injury, or death?
Premises liability claims can be brought against any owner of property who owes a duty of care to customers and those who are expected to walk on the property. Defendants can include:
- Store owners
- Restaurants
- Hotels and motels
- Apartment complexes
- Hospitals
- Malls
- Professional service organizations
- Nonprofits
- Gas stations
- Government entities
In addition, homeowners in Tempe may be liable to neighbors and anyone who uses their sidewalks for failing to keep them in a state of good repair. Homeowners who invite people into their homes may also be liable if they fail to ensure the safety of the people in their home.
Common types of Tempe premises liability cases:
Premises liability claims usually meet one of the following categories:
- Slips and falls. These are perhaps the most common type of premises liability lawsuit. Property owners need to inspect floors, carpets, parking lots, and all parts of their property for risks to customer safety. Examples of negligence include failing to repair broken tiles, clean up merchandise on the floor, dry off wet surfaces, fix elevators and escalators that don’t work, repair loose railings on stairways, and address many other dangers.
- Negligent security. Property owners should provide security for their property especially if the property is a neighborhood where assaults may occur or the property has access to money such as an ATM machine. Reasonable safety measure can include hiring guards, installing video cameras, good lighting, and putting up fences.
- Swimming pool accidents. When the weather is warm, property owners who have pools need to make sure guests and users of the pool understand the rules for. Hotels and other commercial facilities may need a lifeguard. Warnings should be posted so that anyone not familiar with where the pool is won’t fall into the pool during operation and after hours or in colder weather.
- Dog bites and animal attacks. In Tempe, dog owners are generally strictly liable if their dog bites someone. There is no requirement that the dog owner have knowledge of the dog’s propensity to bite.
- Elevator and escalator accidents. If either an elevator or escalator isn’t working properly, the owners should warn visitors not to use these transport devices. Both elevators and escalators should be routinely inspected. If an elevator or escalator does malfunction, the manufactures may be strictly liable, while the owners may be liable based on their negligence.
- Tourist accidents. Arizona attracts a lot of visitors because of its warm weather, scenic views, golf courses, and other attractions. Anyone hurt while visiting a Tempe tourist attraction such as a hot air balloon site, even if they’re from out of state, has the right to hold any negligent property owner accountable for failing to keep their property in a safe condition.
What are the basic requirements of a Tempe premises liability lawsuit?
The owner of the property must owe a duty of care to the person injured. Generally, customers and visitors to a site have the right to file a claim. Trespassers generally cannot file a premises liability case but there are exceptions.
- The property must have a dangerous condition – a safety hazard
- The property owner must be aware of the dangerous condition or should have reasonably known of the dangerous condition
- The dangerous condition must cause your injuries or the death of a loved one
Our experienced Tempe premises liability lawyers understand the laws that apply to premises liability claims, and can help you seek the compensation you deserve.
How much is my premises liability claim worth?
As with any personal injury claim, there is no way to determine upfront how much your claim may be worth. Generally speaking, catastrophic injuries are “worth” more than non-catastrophic injuries because of the extensive medical bills involved with the treatment. But this is not always the case.
What we can tell you is what kinds of damages you may be entitled to receive. They include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Property losses (if applicable)
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium (if applicable)
- Funeral and/or burial costs (in cases of wrongful death)
- Punitive damages (in cases involving gross negligence of willful misconduct)
The best chance you have at securing a fair compensation award is hiring a Tempe premises liability lawyer. Our team works on contingency, so you pay nothing upfront, and we only collect our fees when we win your case.
Experienced representation in Tempe premises liability claims
At Plattner Verderame, P.C. our premises liability lawyers have been fighting for personal injury victims for nearly 30 years. We work with investigators to show that property owner is liable. We conduct extensive discovery if need to help prove fault. We work with you employers and medical doctors and health providers to property document your lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering. For help with any property liability case in Tempe, please call us at 602.266.2002 or contact us now to schedule a free appointment.