Foreseeability & Prior Crime in Arizona
A central question in most negligent security cases is foreseeability: should the property owner have anticipated the danger? The answer often comes down to what the owner knew, especially about prior crime.
Prior crime puts an owner on notice
A history of crime at or near the property — prior assaults, robberies, or police calls — can show the owner knew, or should have known, of the danger. That knowledge is often what makes a later crime foreseeable and a lack of security unreasonable.
How foreseeability is proven
Establishing it takes evidence: police records for the area, the property's own incident reports and complaints, and its security decisions. Gathering this quickly, before records are lost, is a key part of the case.
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Frequently asked questions
What does foreseeability mean in a security case?
It means whether the owner should have anticipated the risk of crime. A history of prior crime at or near the property often puts an owner on notice, making a later crime foreseeable and inadequate security unreasonable.
Arizona law — what people ask
How long do I have to file an injury claim in Arizona?
Generally two years. But if a public entity is involved you must serve a formal notice of claim within 180 days and file suit within one year — and Arizona runs a much shorter one-year clock on dog-bite strict-liability claims specifically.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault in Arizona?
Yes. Arizona applies pure comparative negligence, so fault reduces your recovery rather than ending the claim, and there is no percentage at which it cuts off. Arizona also treats fault questions as belonging to the jury rather than being resolved beforehand.
Does Arizona cap what I can recover?
No — and this sets Arizona apart from most states. Its constitution prohibits laws limiting damages for injury or death, and that applies to medical-malpractice claims too, where most states impose a cap. If you have read that pain and suffering is capped, that is not Arizona law.
What if more than one party was responsible?
Arizona generally applies several liability, so each responsible party answers for its own share rather than the whole judgment. That makes identifying every responsible party early a practical question about what is actually collectible.
The driver who hit me had no insurance. What now?
Your own uninsured or underinsured coverage is the usual route. Arizona also requires insurers to offer that coverage in writing — so if you were told your policy carries none, the underwriting file is worth checking before that answer is accepted.
Will the jury hear that my health insurance paid my bills?
Usually not — Arizona generally follows the collateral source rule. Medical-negligence cases are the statutory exception, where that evidence has been made admissible, which changes how medical damages are presented in those claims specifically.
Injury law in Arizona
Arizona injury law has some features that set it apart from its neighbors.
- Filing deadline: Arizona generally gives you two years from the injury to file, but only 180 days to serve a notice of claim on a public entity.
- Fault: Arizona follows pure comparative negligence — being partly, or even mostly, at fault reduces your recovery but does not bar it.
- Damage caps: Arizona is unusual: its constitution prohibits caps on injury or death damages, so a statutory cap does not limit what you can recover.
- Multiple defendants: Arizona generally applies several (not joint) liability, so each responsible party is accountable for its own share.
Related negligent security types
California injury law
This is general information about Arizona injury law, not legal advice. Every case is different.
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