What to Do After a Slip and Fall in Arizona
Premises cases are won on what the property owner knew and when — and lost on evidence that is gone within days. What you do in the first week matters more here than in almost any other kind of injury claim.
Report it and photograph it before anything changes
Tell the manager and ask that a written incident report be made, then request a copy. Photograph the hazard itself, the surrounding area, the lighting, and any warning signs — or their absence. A spill is mopped and a broken step is repaired long before a claim is evaluated.
What you actually have to prove
Falling on a property does not by itself make the owner responsible. Generally you must show the owner created the hazard, knew about it, or should have discovered it with reasonable inspection — and then failed to fix it or warn you. Inspection logs, maintenance schedules, and prior complaints are where that is proven.
The video has a short life
Surveillance is typically overwritten within days or weeks. A written preservation demand sent immediately is often the only reason the footage still exists — and where it has been destroyed after such a demand, that itself can carry consequences.
Blame, deadlines, and public property
Expect an argument that you should have been watching. In Arizona that is a comparative-fault point, reducing recovery rather than ending the claim. The deadline is generally two years — but a fall on public property brings a 180-day notice of claim, which is the single most common way these claims are lost.
Frequently asked questions
The store says there was a warning sign. Does that end it?
Not necessarily. Whether a warning was adequate, visible, and placed in time is a factual question, and an inadequate sign is not a defense to an unreasonably dangerous condition.
I fell in a city building. Is the deadline different?
Yes, and it is much shorter — a notice of claim within 180 days and suit within one year. Act immediately if a public entity is involved.
This article is general information about Arizona injury law, not legal advice. Every case is different — talk to a lawyer about your situation.
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