Arizona Slip and Fall Blog

The Glendale slip and fall attorneys at Breyer Law Offices were shocked to know that about 17,000 individuals are killed due to slip and fall accidents annually across the country, according to the National Safety Council and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is the second most frequent accident that results in personal injury, next to motor vehicle accidents.

Slip and fall and trip and fall accidents can occur anytime at any place. Incidents such as these may happen in the workplace, at home, in icy conditions, and in a crowded place. A victim may have a slip and fall case if he or she can prove that property owners are careless and this led to the victim being injured from a slip, trip, or fall incident.

Arizona Slip and Fall Accident Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Safety Council revealed that every year, more than 1 million individuals are injured from slip and fall accidents.

What is a Slip and Fall Settlement?

A victim may have a claim for Arizona slip and fall accident injuries after sufficient evidence has been gathered to show that there is negligence on the part of the property owner. Settlements may vary depending on how serious the victim’s injuries are and the circumstance surrounding the accident. Settlements also vary depending on the amount of medical and hospital bills, rehabilitation and ambulance costs, medical supplies, lost wages, and many other factors.

Should You Call an Experienced Glendale Slip and Fall Accident Attorney?

A slip and fall accident can be a complex case. Some Glendale slip and fall victims may need the help of a skilled personal injury attorney to help them decipher and evaluate their accident case. Mark Breyer is a certified specialist in injury and wrongful death law by the State Bar of Arizona. Call the Breyer Law Offices today for your free consultation.

As Arizona injury lawyers, we handle many different types of slip and fall injury cases in Arizona. Most slip and falls statistically occur at work; however, there are many slip and falls that take place outside the work place as well. Many elderly adults are involved in slip and fall accidents in nursing homes and elsewhere. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among older adults. In hospital admissions, The CDC also revealed that fall accidents are the most common cause of non-fatal injuries for adults as well.

Elderly Fall Accidents Statistics in Arizona

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS), Maricopa county has the highest inpatient discharges with fall injuries for 65 and above patients in 2009.

Preventing Elderly Fall Accidents

The Arizona Fall Prevention Coalition established a program called AZ Stop Falls, which aims to disseminate information and prevent fall accidents and injuries in Arizona. AZ Stop Falls is trying to campaign to increase awareness and lower the number of elderly falls across Arizona.

Should You Call an Experienced Slip and Fall Accident Attorney?

As Phoenix slip and fall accident attorneys, we are here to answer any questions you may have regarding your injury case. Many elderly adults have legitimate slip and fall injury cases and the establishment where they fall is fast to blame the elderly adult’s age for the fall rather than the true reasons that where the elderly person fell was a dangerous condition. When someone is elderly blaming their age is the easy way out. For a free consultation with Breyer Law Offices, P.C. call (602) 267-1280.

As Arizona slip and fall accident attorneys, we were shocked when our research indicated that slip, trip, and fall accidents account for 15 to 20 percent of work accidents in the United States. Slip and fall injuries are very common with reports showing that slip and falls are the second most common cause of injuries right behind motor vehicle accidents. If you hurt yourself by slipping and falling, here are some tips to follow:

• Document important details of the accident
• Note the exact location of the accident
• The time of day is important to write down
• Ask witnesses for their name, address, and phone number
• If you fall at a store, find out if there are any cameras capturing the fall
• If there are cameras, it is important to let the establishment know in writing that they cannot destroy this evidence
• File an incident report right away if possible
• If you are hurt, seek medical attention as soon as possible
• It is our advice to never give a recorded statement before talking to an attorney
• Our opinion is to never sign any authorizations without also talking to an attorney

Slip and Fall Statistics

According to the Industrial Commission of Arizona’s Research and Statistics Division, falls are the third leading cause of work-related deaths, causing nine fatalities in 2010.

Arizona State Law on Slip and Fall Accidents

In Arizona, property owners might be liable when an accident occurs resulting in an injury to a person. The law for slip and falls is somewhat complex as the injured person must show that the owners knew or should have known that there was a dangerous condition on their property and that the dangerous condition caused the injury. The owners may have “created” the dangerous condition and that would serve as notice of the condition as well.

Call an Experienced Arizona Slip and Fall Attorney

If you have been a victim of a slip and fall accident in Arizona and believe that the cause of your injuries was the result of a dangerous condition, you may have a claim. We are available to answer all your legal questions. Dangerous conditions may range from liquid on the floor, something sticking out on the floors, broken stairs, poor lighting, wet floors, and more. Call for your free consultation at (602) 267-1280.

Slip-and-fall accidents can happen anywhere given the right circumstances and hazards present, but some floors lend themselves to greater chances of slipping. When a floor lacks the proper surface roughness and friction, it can quickly turn into a hazard for passersby, especially when it becomes wet. Not all floors contain such dangers, but there are a great number of floors commonly found in buildings everywhere that can easily cause many slip-and-fall injuries.

Vinyl Composition Tiles (VCT) – These types of floors are found in schools, offices, hospitals, and many other buildings across the nation as they are both inexpensive and easy to clean. VCT comes in large sheets that can be cut to fit floors properly and resemble tile flooring with alternating colored squares that can be waxed and buffed. However, these floors become incredibly slippery when wet and have very few options for slip-resistant treatment, making them both very dangerous and very common for slip-and-fall accidents.

Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles – Both of these types of tiling can come in various forms that can include slip-resistant qualities, such as abrasive granules and textures. With added slip-resistant qualities, these tiles can offer good slip-and-fall protection; however, with them they can easily become slip hazards when wet. As such, property owners should consider surrounding hazards and conditions before selecting types and installing.

Rubber Tiles – Commonly found in airports, elevators, and parking garages, these types of rubber flooring can be great for slip protection, but when worn down can combine with liquid to present a serious slip-and-fall hazard.

Marble, Granite, and Terrazzo – While each of these substances has varying levels of surface roughness, they tend to be rather smooth when used as flooring. As such, this inherent slickness can combine with wet conditions to create an incredibly slippery surface. Use caution when encountering such outdoor flooring in rainy conditions.

Slip-and-fall victims can come to the slip-and-fall accident lawyers in Glendale of The Breyer Law Offices, P.C. for experienced and knowledgeable representation in their personal injury lawsuit. Our attorneys can fight for your just compensation that will help you recover from your injuries and pay for the expenses that resulted from your accident. Call us today at (623) 455-6603 for a complimentary consultation on your case.

Slip-and-fall accidents are common occurrences in Arizona and across the nation as a number of factors can cause these mishaps to occur. Whether an accident is caused by objects lying on the ground, ice, water, or any other number of factors, all slip-and-fall accidents have one thing in common: an unsafe surface. In all slip-and-fall accidents, the degree of surface roughness plays into how an accident occurred.

A slippery walking surface increases the likelihood of an accident occurring both in and out of the home, and the smoother a floor, the easier it is to slip. Surface roughness dictates the potential a floor has to cause a slip, with smoother surfaces having less friction than rougher ones. This is why many Arizona slip-and-fall injuries occur in super markets, where aisles are often made from smooth, slick, and shiny surfaces. Floors may look nicer when they appear so smooth and clean, but are far more slippery than the rough concrete and asphalt outside. Ice and liquids also dramatically decrease the amount of friction on a surface and cause slipping.

When selecting flooring, it is important to consider the surrounding factors that may cause more slip-and-fall accidents than the floor alone could cause. When a person transitions from a non-slippery or carpeted floor to a slippery surface, he or she may not realize the change and slip because he or she does not change their walking pattern accordingly. If a floor is near liquids and is likely to be frequently spilled on, it should not have a slick surface and should incorporate some form of slip-resistant patterns or material.

It is the responsibility of every property owner to install the correct floor in relation to the surrounding conditions. When a property owner is negligent in the installation and maintenance of a floor and it causes a slip-and-fall accident, he or she is responsible for the damages sustained.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a slip-and-fall accident caused by another’s negligence, the Chandler slip-and-fall attorneys at Breyer Law, P.C. can help. Our experienced attorneys can give you a free consultation on your case if you call our offices today at (602) 457-6222.

Many employers implement safety initiatives to keep employees and customers safe. Unfortunately, they focus on indoor safety hazards and do not develop a plan for identifying and fixing outdoor safety hazards. Any company with a sidewalk, curb, parking lot, or other outdoor space needs to have a plan in place to prevent slip and fall injuries in outdoor spaces. These tips from EHS Today can help you reduce the risk of accidents at your company.

• Adjust gutters and other roof drainage systems so that water is directed away from parking lots and sidewalks.
• Maintain parking stoppers properly so they do not cause falls and other types of accidents. Center each stopper and secure it properly.
• Repair parking lot and sidewalk damage caused by wear-and-tear, uprooted trees, bad weather, and settling.
• Patch cracks and holes so that customers, vendors, and employees do not trip and fall.
• Make sure any existing handicap ramps have slip-resistant surfaces.
• Consider installing a canopy above any outdoor walkways to reduce water and mud from being tracked into the building.
• Make sure all outdoor spaces have adequate lighting, to prevent trips caused by poor lighting.
• Keep outdoor stairs in good condition by fixing defects immediately.
• Use yellow or yellow-orange signs to notify people of possible hazards. These colors are easier to see for those who have low vision.

When you take the time to keep your outdoor spaces in good condition, you can significantly reduce the number of injuries on your premises. Unfortunately, not all business owners pay such careful attention to outdoor safety issues. If you suffered a slip and fall accident due to inadequate maintenance of someone else’s property, call an experienced Peoria slip and fall attorney with The Breyer Law Offices P.C. We have years of experience helping our clients get the compensation they need for medical bills and lost wages. Contact us at (602) 457-6222 to discuss your case.

Every company should have a safety committee or safety team to identify hazards and make sure they are taken care of promptly. However, it’s also important to make sure well-intentioned workers do not make problems worse by making safety “improvements.” In some cases, improvements can worsen or disguise a defect, causing additional accidents and injuries.

Paint Problems

If a defect is noted in a set of stairs or other location, the defect should be repaired immediately. Although safety committee members may want to use bright paint to call attention to the defect, paint can actually disguise safety hazards and increase the risk that someone else will slip and fall. In one case, workers painted a defect with bright orange paint after someone suffered a slip and fall injury. The paint covered the defect, causing another person to break her hip after her foot got caught in that piece of stairway.

Lighting

Adding new lighting to a dim place can improve safety for workers, vendors, and customers. However, any change in lighting can make it more difficult to see safety hazards and avoid them. If you decide to install new lighting, make sure it does not camouflage any safety hazards. Repair any hazards immediately to avoid slip and fall accidents.

Flooring Replacement

Responsible business owners know that worn flooring should be replaced, as it can lead to slip and fall injuries and other types of accidents. Those who select new flooring should consider the slickness of flooring materials and pick one that is not slippery. Choosing flooring carefully can help prevent slip and falls caused by a slippery surface.

If you suffered injuries due to a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, the Phoenix slip and fall accident attorneys at The Breyer Law Offices P.C. will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Time is critical, so contact us as soon as possible after your fall. Call (602) 457-6222 to set up a free consultation to discuss your case.

Slip and fall accidents can occur in the home or on the job, but taking proper precautions and learning how to handle a fall can actually help you prevent Arizona slip and fall injuries. The goal of implementing safety measures is to prevent falls altogether, but sometimes falls occur in spite of your best efforts.

These are some tips you should follow if you find yourself falling:

• Shield your head with your arm during a fall. Even if you injure your arm, it is better to protect your head and prevent a traumatic brain injury.
• Tuck your chin in while covering your head to prevent injuries to the face.
• Bend your knees, elbows and wrists during the fall. This helps distribute the impact of the fall once you land.
• Avoid trying to break the fall with your hands or elbows, as this can cause additional injuries.
• Try not to tense your muscles during the fall. This can limit your body’s ability to absorb the impact of the fall.
• Do not attempt to fall on your buttocks, as you risk injuring your tailbone. Try to go limp and land with your limbs toward the ground.

If you feel like you have sustained an injury, do not move immediately after your fall. Summon help, as moving too soon could cause additional damage. If you feel capable of moving, don’t get up and move all at once. Slowly bend or wiggle your fingers, wrists, elbows and other body parts to ensure that you do not have an injury that is preventing you from moving safely.

Although learning how to fall properly can save you from serious injuries, some falls are so severe that all of these precautions will not prevent broken bones or other injuries. If you were involved in a slip and fall accident due to someone else’s carelessness, the Mesa slip and fall accident attorneys at The Breyer Law Offices P.C. can help. To schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys, contact us at (602) 457-6222.

Although an experienced attorney should guide you through the process of filing a slip and fall claim, the actions you take immediately following your accident can affect the outcome of your case. Use these tips to document evidence of your injuries and preserve that evidence until your case goes to court.

Photographs
Most cell phones have cameras these days, so make good use of yours if you have a slip and fall accident. Take high-quality photos of the accident location. These photos can especially help your case if they show property owner fault due to not maintaining the premises properly. Make sure your photos show any damaged tiles, loose carpets or slippery surfaces.

Get Medical Attention
If you do not seek medical attention after your accident, you have no way to document the type and severity of your injuries. The medical report will play a big role in your case, so go to the emergency room or an urgent care center immediately after your slip and fall.

Take Statements
If someone witnessed your accident, ask for a statement as soon as possible. If you wait too long, the witness may forget important details that are crucial to winning your case. Get the statement on audio or video whenever possible.

Document Lost Time
If you miss work time due to your slip and fall accident, make sure you document all missed time. If you have to use vacation or personal time, document how many hours of paid time off you lost during your recovery. If you work as a homemaker, document how much money you spent delegating your regular tasks to housekeepers, babysitters and other domestic helpers.

What seems like a simple slip and fall may actually lead to long-term pain and medical problems. If you suffered a slip and fall accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact the Phoenix slip and fall attorneys at The Breyer Law Offices P.C. We will review your case and help you determine what to do next. Call us at (602) 457-6222 for a free consultation.

Slip and fall is actually a term that encompasses four different types of accidents. These accidents fall under premises liability law in Arizona and throughout the nation. Understanding the four distinct types of slip and fall accidents can help you safeguard your home or business property.

Slip and Fall

Slip and fall refers to losing traction on a walking surface and falling as a result. These accidents may occur due to the presence of water on the walking surface or the use of oily or waxy chemicals on a hard floor.

Stump and Fall

Stump and fall accidents involve stumbling on an obstacle and falling. Falling after you stumble on a power cable would classify as a stump and fall accident.

Trip and Fall

A trip and fall accident differs slightly from a stump and fall accident. In a trip and fall accident, the person trips over a foreign object. If someone leaves a stack of books on a walkway, causing someone to trip, the accident would qualify as a trip and fall.

Step and Fall

When someone falls or loses his balance due to a hole or defect in the surface of a walkway, this is known as a step and fall. If one of the steps rots on a wooden staircase, for example, this defect could cause a step and fall accident.

Compensation after a Fall Accident in Arizona

Residential property owners have a responsibility to maintain safe premises for guests. Business owners must keep vendors, customers and employees safe by performing regular maintenance and repair activities. If you experienced a slip and fall accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact the slip and fall injury attorneys in Chandler at The Breyer Law Offices P.C. We provide a free consultation to anyone injured in a slip-and-fall accident and, if retained, will fight for the compensation you deserve. Call us at 480-389-2463.