Phoenix premises liability lawyers reach $100,000 settlement in “dog poop case”

Arizona slip and fall attorney Gary Annes has settled a case on behalf of a woman who slipped and fell on a sheet of ice in the south suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The incident occurred after a man hosed down his back porch in an attempt to clean up dog poop. He did this in freezing conditions which caused a sheet of ice to form. He then allowed the plaintiff to go out on the back porch to throw away some garbage and failed to advise her of the dangerous condition. She slipped and fell on the ice, landing on her right hand and for head.

Gary Annes settled the case for the homeowner’s $100,000 insurance policy limits. The case was resolved without having to file a lawsuit, saving our client the cost of litigation.

Shortly after the accident, the defendant told our client he had been using his gated patio behind his townhouse as a small dog run. He admitted that the day before he had sprayed down the concrete slab patio to try to clean up dog excrement. Due to freezing temperatures the water turned to ice, and the ice was then hidden by a light snow. The homeowner also stated he intended to salt the area and forgot to do so.

After falling, our client had extreme right wrist pain and head pain. She was transported immediately after the accident to an emergency room. At the ER, she was examined and x-rays were taken. In addition to her wrist and head pain, she was dizzy and nauseous. Emergency room doctors noted a large contusion on her forehead and a deformity on her right wrist with tenderness.

X-rays showed she sustained a severely fractured wrist. She was also diagnosed with a closed head injury and post concussion syndrome. Doctors put her wrist in an immobilizer and she was prescribed medications for pain, and referred to a surgeon.

The next day she went to treatment at an orthopedic group where a physician reviewed her x-rays and examined her wrist. The surgeon observed a wrist deformity and significant swelling, and sent her back to the hospital for a CT scan.

Based on the CT results, an open reduction internal fixation surgical procedure was recommended. The surgery took place short time later at a different area hospital. A plate and screws were used to secure the fracture during surgery.

After the surgery, the plaintiff followed up with her physician on a regular basis for several months. A month after surgery her cast and staples were taken out and she was put into a splint.

She had limitations under doctors orders for a period of time, such as no heavy lifting. Her surgeon instructed her to do a home program that included exercises and stretching.

Even after she was done treating with her doctors, she still had pain in her wrist. The plaintiff’s pain is very noticeable when the weather changes, like when it is damp or cold, and she also experiences pain when lifting objects.

Due to the accident our client had in the area of $30,000 in medical bills, and she also has a scar on her right wrist.

If you have been hurt in Phoenix slip and fall accident, call the Arizona injury lawyers at Abels and Annes for free consultation.

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