Attorneys Helping You Seek Compensation For Property-Related Injuries

Premises liability is a subset of personal injury law. It is based on the idea that property owners are responsible for ensuring that their premises are reasonably safe for visitors, guests and others who are legally on the property. Two of the most common types of premises liability claims are slip-and-fall accidents and dog bites, both of which are discussed on this page. If you were injured due to property owner or dog owner negligence, we invite you to contact Curiel & Runion, PLC, to discuss your legal options with our skilled and caring attorneys.

Slip-And-Fall Accidents Can Be Much More Serious Than You Might Expect

Falls are a significant cause of death and injury in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one million Americans suffer a slip-and-fall injury, and 17,000 die from slip-and-falls every year. These accidents frequently occur in grocery stores when spills are left unattended and in various other scenarios such as at restaurants, hotels, retail stores and homes.

Slip-and-fall accidents can lead to serious injuries, including:

Spinal cord injuries
Internal organ injuries
Herniated discs
traumatic brain injuries
Broken bones
Sprains
Lacerations
Scarring and disfigurement

If you’ve suffered injuries as a result of a slip-and-fall accident caused by an unsafe condition, you will often be able to recover compensation for your damages.

When Are Property Owners Liable?

You may have heard incorrectly that the owner of the property where the fall took place is automatically responsible. While it is the legal responsibility of every owner of property accessible to the public to maintain their premises in a safe condition, you and your lawyer must be able to prove the following four elements:

The fall resulted from an unsafe condition
The resulting injury was serious
The owner of the property was responsible for allowing the condition to exist
The fall was the cause of actual, demonstrable damages to you

You will need to document the monetary losses, such as medical bills, lost earnings and prescriptions, and other related expenses, such as the cost of household help, transportation to doctor appointments and other out-of-pocket costs. In addition, you should be able to show evidence of your non-economic damages. These are harder to place a dollar amount on, for example pain and suffering, disability, loss or enjoyment of life, disfigurement and so forth.

Why It Is Important To Work With A Skilled Attorney

When you’ve suffered a serious injury in a fall, don’t be surprised if the insurance company for the property owner denies your claim. Many insurance companies deny nearly all slip-and-fall accident claims, attempting to blame the victim for causing their own injuries. Without a knowledgeable and skilled legal professional on your side, you’ll be at a significant disadvantage when trying to deal with an insurance adjuster.

When you hire our attorneys, we’ll immediately begin to take steps to protect your legal rights and will keep you informed and involved every step of the way. We’ll promptly begin an investigation to identify proof that the property owner or manager’s negligence caused the accident. We’ll need to determine:

How the dangerous condition occurred.
Whether the property owner or operator was aware of the condition.
How long the condition existed.
Whether any similar accidents have occurred at the property.
If there is any record of violations of code, laws, safety standards or other regulations at the property.

We’ll document the circumstances of the accident by taking photos of the scene, interviewing any witnesses and researching records of prior incidents involving safety violations at the premises. We’ll gather medical and employment records, proof of out-of-pocket expenses and evidence to demonstrate your noneconomic damages.

Were You Bitten Or Otherwise Attacked By A Dangerous Dog?

Americans love their pets, as evidenced by the fact that the U.S. dog population stands at about 65 million. Every year, roughly 5 million people are bitten by dogs, and 800,000 of those bites result in a visit to the doctor or emergency room. Half of all dog bite victims are children.

Dog bites are considered a premises liability matter regardless of whether the attack occurred on the dog owner’s property. If you or your child has been the victim of a dog bite, our attorneys will work diligently to ensure that you are compensated fairly and that the at-fault parties are held accountable.

A Dog Owner’s Responsibility

It’s primarily a matter of responsible pet ownership: well-trained and well-socialized dogs usually don’t bite. Obedience training and teaching the dog to get along with a variety of people of all ages is important. Most canines seem to feel provoked at the sight of a mail carrier breaching the boundaries of their yard, so it is important that owners not only train and socialize their pets but also restrain them appropriately, especially when the mail truck or tradesperson is due to arrive.

All dogs, even the gentlest and best-trained among them, need to be carefully supervised around young children. A pet owner who fails to take these precautions could be found negligent if a bite occurs.

Let Us Deal With The Insurance Adjuster For You

You may receive a call from the dog owner’s insurance company requesting a recorded statement and medical authorizations, or offering a token payment in exchange for a full release. Don’t sign or record anything, and terminate the contact politely but firmly, referring the adjuster to contact us instead.

We have the experience and negotiating skills to get you the best possible settlement as compensation for your present and future medical expenses, your physical pain and suffering, as well as any emotional or psychological trauma associated with the attack. If the insurance company doesn’t come through with an adequate settlement offer, we’ll be fully prepared to take your case to trial and let a jury decide it.

Contact Us To Discuss Your Legal Options For Free

With offices in Phoenix, Tucson and Albuquerque, Curiel & Runion proudly serves clients throughout the surrounding areas of Arizona and New Mexico. If you were injured on dangerous private property or due to a dog bite/attack, contact us to take advantage of a free initial consultation. Simply email the firm or call 602-838-6378.