Primary Location
Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyers
2700 N Central Ave Suite 320, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
Phone: (602) 905-7766
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Slipped on someone else's property in Tucson? Arizona law is pretty clear on this. The property owner, not you, carries the responsibility for keeping things safe. That's called premises liability, and it's the backbone of every slip and fall case we handle.
So what does a property owner actually have to do? Three things. Inspect for hazards regularly. Fix dangerous conditions before someone gets hurt. And if they can't fix it right away, at least put up a warning.
But here's the thing most people don't realize. Not every fall gives you a case. The question isn't just did you fall. It's did the owner know about the hazard, or should they have known? A spill that sat on the floor at Fry's for 45 minutes with nobody cleaning it up? You've got a claim. A puddle that formed 30 seconds before you walked through it? Much harder to prove.
Tucson makes this complicated. Monsoon season dumps rain across the city from June through September, and outdoor shopping areas like Park Place and La Encantada turn into skating rinks. Covered patios and entryways trap water. And property owners don't get a pass just because the weather caused it.
You don't need to prove recklessness either. Plain old negligence works. They didn't act like a reasonable property owner would? That's your case right there.
Slip and falls are the most common type of the unsafe premises cases we handle, but the same negligence framework applies to inadequate lighting, broken handrails, and unsecured objects.
The same duty of care that governs fall cases also covers dog attacks on private property — property owners are expected to know what their premises, and their pets, are doing to visitors.
Why do people fall in Tucson? Usually it comes down to one of these problems.
Wet floors inside stores. Somebody spills something in aisle 6 and nobody mops it up. Or the floor just got mopped and there's no yellow sign anywhere. During monsoon season, rainwater gets tracked into every entryway across town.
Cracked sidewalks and busted-up parking lots. Tucson's heat is brutal on concrete. It expands, contracts, cracks open. You see uneven pavement everywhere from midtown strip malls to downtown parking garages. Owners let it go for months.
Bad lighting. Can't see the step-down in a dimly lit stairwell? That's on the property owner.
Missing handrails. Stairs without rails violate building codes. Full stop.
Cluttered aisles. Boxes stacked in walkways, extension cords running across floors, merchandise piled where people walk. Retailers create these hazards constantly.
Desert landscaping gone wrong. Loose gravel paths, exposed roots from mesquite trees, and uneven flagstone are everywhere in Tucson.
Grocery stores, apartment complexes, hotels, office buildings, restaurants. The property type changes but the rule stays the same. Know about a hazard and ignore it? You're on the hook.
When falls on the job happen at a warehouse, a hotel, or a restaurant you do not work for, you may end up with both a comp claim and a separate premises case against the property owner.
Okay, you just fell. Your knee is throbbing and you're embarrassed and you want to go home. Don't. What you do right now determines whether you have a case later.
First thing? Doctor. Go to Banner-University Medical Center or hit one of the urgent care spots in Midtown. Even if nothing feels broken. Concussions hide for days. Hairline fractures don't always hurt right away. And if you wait two weeks to see a doctor, the insurance company will argue your injuries aren't from the fall.
Tell the manager what happened. Make them write up an incident report. Get your copy. If they refuse, grab the manager's name, the time, and write it down yourself.
Pull out your phone and photograph everything. The puddle. The cracked tile. The missing wet floor sign. Your scraped-up elbow. Your shoes. Get it all before anyone cleans up.
Did someone see you fall? Get their number. Witnesses are gold when the property owner starts telling a different story.
And when that insurance adjuster calls, and they will call fast, do not give them a recorded statement. They'll be friendly about it. Don't fall for that. Talk to a lawyer first.
Here's what we tell clients about evidence. Your word alone won't cut it. We need proof that a hazard was there, that the owner knew about it, and that they dropped the ball.
Surveillance footage sits at the top of the list. Most businesses around U of A and along Fourth Avenue have cameras rolling 24 hours a day. But here's the catch. That footage gets recorded over fast, sometimes within 72 hours. We send a preservation letter the same day you call us.
Maintenance logs tell us whether the property was being inspected at all. Was the floor last checked three hours ago? Or three weeks ago? Big difference.
Incident reports matter. And not just yours. If five people slipped in the same spot over the past year, that pattern proves the owner knew about the problem.
Witness statements give us independent verification. Someone who saw the hazard before you fell, or watched you go down, carries serious weight.
For the complicated cases, we bring in experts. Safety engineers, building code specialists, biomechanics consultants. They explain to a jury exactly why the property was dangerous.
Your medical records tie it all together. They connect your injuries to that specific fall on that specific day.
Don't sit on this. Evidence vanishes. Act fast.
Most people think they just got a bad bruise. Then the x-ray comes back showing a fracture. Or the headaches start three days later and won't stop.
Falls send more people to the emergency room in Arizona than most other types of accidents. The National Safety Council reports over 8.8 million fall-related ER visits nationally each year [1]. These aren't minor inconveniences.
Hip fractures hit hardest among older adults. One broken hip means surgery, months of rehab, and sometimes a permanent change in mobility. Tucson's senior communities in the Catalina Foothills and Green Valley face elevated fall risks from uneven desert landscaping and poorly maintained walkways.
Traumatic brain injuries don't require your head to hit concrete. A sudden whiplash motion during a fall causes concussions. Symptoms sneak up on you over days, headaches, mental fog, light sensitivity, mood changes.
Back injuries are devastating. Herniated discs. Compressed vertebrae. Spinal cord damage. One fall in a grocery store aisle can mean two surgeries and a year of physical therapy.
Wrists and ankles break when you try to catch yourself. Shoulder joints dislocate. Rotator cuffs tear. These aren't injuries that heal on their own.
We took a retail store slip and fall case to trial where our client needed a spinal cord stimulator implant. The jury came back with a $7.2 million verdict. Falls at businesses cause real damage.
People tell us all the time, but I was partly at fault. My sandals were slippery. I wasn't watching where I was going.
So what? Arizona uses pure comparative fault. That means your payout gets reduced by your share of the blame, but you still collect. A jury says you're 30% at fault and the store is 70% at fault? You get 70% of your damages. Even at 50% fault, you recover half.
Insurance adjusters in Pima County play this game hard. They'll argue you were texting. That your shoes were wrong. That you should've seen the hazard. That warning signs were posted when they weren't.
We fight every one of those arguments with hard evidence. Camera footage. Witnesses. Expert testimony on footwear standards. The facts usually tell a very different story than what the insurance company pitches.
Your claim covers more than hospital bills. Way more.
Medical costs? Obviously. ER visit, surgery, hospital stay, PT sessions, prescriptions, the MRI nobody warned you would cost $4,000. And future treatment too, not just what you've paid so far.
Lost paychecks add up quick. Miss three months of work after a hip fracture and that income loss alone can be significant. If your injury limits what you can do long-term, you claim reduced earning power on top of the missed wages.
Pain and suffering is real compensation under Arizona law. And there's no cap on it. None. The full amount a jury believes you deserve.
Can't go hiking at Sabino Canyon anymore because your back won't allow it? Can't pick up your kid? That loss of enjoyment counts.
Our attorneys won a $1.05 million verdict for a client who fell on a wet floor. The defense tried to blame everything on brittle bone disease. The jury saw through it.
Insurance companies have entire departments dedicated to paying you less. You need someone in your corner who does this work every day.
Your lawyer preserves evidence before it disappears. Sends those preservation letters day one. Takes over every conversation with the adjuster so you don't accidentally tank your own case.
Most people undervalue their claims by thousands. An experienced attorney calculates future medical costs, long-term income impacts, pain and suffering. Numbers you'd never think to include.
And if the insurer won't negotiate fairly? We go to trial. Our firm has over 250 years of combined experience across our legal team and has recovered more than $500 million for clients. We don't bluff.
Contingency fee basis means you pay nothing out of pocket. Zero upfront. We collect our fee when we win. That's it.
The strategy we use on a fall is the same one we use on every type of Pima County injury claims — move fast on evidence, get the right medical documentation in place, and never let an insurance adjuster set the value of the case.
There's a clock running on your case. Ignore it and your claim dies.
Arizona gives you two years from the date of your fall under ARS 12-542 [2]. After that deadline passes, the court throws out your case. Period.
But if you fell on government property, the City of Tucson, Pima County, a state building, you've got 180 days to file a notice of claim. Not two years. Six months. Miss that window and your case against the government is finished.
Two years feels like a long time until you're eight months into treatment and your lawyer is still gathering medical records. Start early. Even if you're still going to PT, call a lawyer so the investigation begins while the evidence is fresh.
Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Our attorneys have handled personal injury cases across Arizona and California. We know how Tucson insurance companies operate, and we know how to push back.
That number reflects real results for real families — medical bills paid, lost wages recovered, and futures protected.
You pay nothing upfront. Our fee comes out of your settlement or verdict. If we do not win your case, you owe us nothing.
Accidents do not follow business hours. Neither do we. Call (602) 905-7766 any time — nights, weekends, and holidays.
We serve Tucson clients from our Phoenix office at 2700 N Central Ave, Suite 320. We know Arizona roads, courts, and insurance adjusters — and we travel to meet you when it matters.
“After a crash, you need a team that answers the phone, explains your options, and fights for every dollar you are owed. That is what we do at The Simon Law Group.”
Over 250 years of combined attorney experience
Serving Tucson from Phoenix | 2700 N Central Ave, Suite 320 | Licensed in AZ & CA
Two years from the date of injury under ARS 12-542. If your fall happened on government property owned by the City of Tucson or Pima County, you must file a notice of claim within 180 days.
Seek medical care, report the incident to the property manager, photograph the hazard, collect witness names and contact information, and call a slip and fall lawyer before talking to any insurance company.
Yes. If the store knew or should have known about the wet floor and failed to clean it up or post warning signs, they're liable under Arizona premises liability law.
Medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disability damages. Arizona has no cap on personal injury awards.
Yes. Under pure comparative fault, your award is reduced by your share of blame. But you can still recover. Even at 40% or 50% fault, you receive compensation for the other side's share of responsibility.
Most cases settle in 9 to 18 months depending on injury severity and whether liability is disputed. Complex cases filed in Pima County Superior Court can take longer if they go to trial.
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