Tucson slip and fall lawyer: who is responsible for your fall and how long you have

Last checked November 8, 2026

Tucson code puts sidewalk upkeep on the owner of the property next to it.1 If you fell on City property, a claim is due to the City Clerk in 180 days.2 On private property, you generally have 2 years to sue.3 Take photos before the problem gets fixed.

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Road map of central Tucson showing the city's sidewalk grid, where abutting property owners must keep sidewalks in repair under city code
Fell on City of Tucson property? You have 180 days to file a claim. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What should you do after a fall in Tucson?

  1. Get medical care and say exactly how you fell. Banner records can be requested through MRO Patient Central for any Banner hospital or urgent care.4
  2. Photograph the spot from far away and up close, with something for scale, such as a shoe. Do it the same day if you can.
  3. Keep the shoes and clothes you had on, unwashed.
  4. If it was a store or apartment, ask for a written incident report, and get the manager's name.
  5. Write down who saw you fall and when you were there.
  6. If it was a street or sidewalk hazard, report it to Tucson 311 after you photograph it.5

Who is responsible for a broken sidewalk in Tucson?

This is where Tucson is unusual. City code requires owners of property next to a public sidewalk to keep it in good order and repair.1 A City brochure says the same thing in plain words: sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the owner of the abutting property.6 Most people assume the City fixes all of them.

Read the next part slowly. The code says the owner is liable to the City for what the City loses or pays out because of a bad sidewalk.7 It speaks about money between the owner and the City. It does not say you can sue the neighbor directly. That is a question for a lawyer, and it depends on the facts.

Because of that, do not choose too early. If you fell on a public sidewalk, find out who owns the property alongside it and also protect your claim against the City, which has the shorter deadline.2

Who is liable for a slip and fall in a Tucson store, apartment or park?

Where you fellWhat to know
Shop, restaurant or officeYou generally have 2 years to sue3
Apartment stairs, pool deck or walkwayLandlords must keep shared areas clean and safe8
City building or City landA claim is due within 180 days9
Land used for free recreationThe owner answers only for willful, malicious or grossly negligent conduct10
Somewhere you had no permission to beThe owner only had to avoid hurting you on purpose or through reckless conduct11

A fall by itself does not prove a claim. You usually need to show the owner knew about the danger, or should have, and did not fix it or warn you. Cameras help with that. Ask for footage in writing the same week, since stores do not keep it long.

How do you file a claim with the City of Tucson for a fall?

  1. Download the City's Notice of Claim form and fill it out.
  2. Email it to [email protected], which the City prefers. You can also mail it to City Clerk, PO Box 27210, Tucson 85726, or hand-deliver it to 255 W. Alameda, 9th Floor.2
  3. Confirm that the Clerk's office has it. The form says this is your responsibility.12
  4. Mark 60 days on a calendar. No answer by then means the claim is treated as denied.12
  5. Know the next date. A lawsuit against a public agency must be filed within one year.13

Questions about the form go to Risk Management at (520) 791-4728.12 A claim filed late can end the case, so count from the day you fell.9 We could not find published claim instructions for other local agencies, so if you fell on county or state property, ask a lawyer where the notice must go.

Where do you report a dangerous sidewalk or street in Tucson?

Call 311, use the Tucson 311 app, or submit a request on the City's portal. The Streets team lists damaged markings, pavement problems and overhanging limbs on sidewalks among the things it handles.5 Street light problems go through the same route.14

Save your confirmation number or a screenshot. It shows the date and what you said. Do not expect the report to take the place of a Notice of Claim. They are different things.

Which court hears a slip and fall case in Tucson?

Small falls with small bills can go to Pima justice courts, which take civil cases of $10,000 or less.15 Small claims stops at $5,000, and attorneys are not part of it.1617 A small claims suit cannot be brought against the state or a city.18 Larger cases go to Superior Court at 110 West Congress Street,19 where its FASTAR program applies to cases valued from $1,000 to $50,000.20

What if the store says you should have watched where you were going?

Expect that. Arizona lets you recover even if you were partly at fault, but the award goes down by your share.21 A wet floor sign, your shoes and your phone may all come up. Do not agree to a percentage on the phone, and do not give a recorded statement before you know how badly you are hurt.

When should you call a slip and fall lawyer in Tucson?

  • You broke a bone, hit your head or needed surgery.
  • You fell on a public sidewalk and do not know who to claim against.
  • The City or a landlord is not responding.
  • The store will not give you its report or video.
  • Your 180-day date is near.

Questions

Who fixes the sidewalks in Tucson?

City code puts that duty on the owner of the property next to the sidewalk.1

Can I sue the City of Tucson for a fall?

You must first file a Notice of Claim within 180 days.2 A lawsuit must follow within one year.13

How long do I have to sue after a fall at a store in Tucson?

Generally 2 years.3

Does my landlord have to fix a dangerous walkway?

Arizona landlords of homes and apartments must keep common areas clean and safe.8

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Keep reading

Tucson

Slip and fall

Arizona

Sources

  1. Tucson City Code 25-12, checked 2026-11-08. “required to keep the public sidewalks immediately abutting their property in good order and repair”
  2. City of Tucson, File a Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Claimants have 180 days from an accident or injury to file a claim against the City.”
  3. A.R.S. § 12-542(1), checked 2026-11-08. “there shall be commenced and prosecuted within two years after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward, the following actions: 1. For injuries done to the person of another”
  4. Banner Health, Patient Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “you can request your medical records from any Banner Health hospital, provider office, or urgent care location.”
  5. City of Tucson, Street Maintenance Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Damaged pavement markings: striping, crosswalks, or legends”
  6. City of Tucson, Right-of-Way Permits brochure, checked 2026-11-08. “maintenance of the sidewalk area is the responsibility of the owner of the abutting property”
  7. Tucson City Code 25-12, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be liable to the city for all losses to the city or recoveries from the city”
  8. A.R.S. § 33-1324(A)(3), checked 2026-11-08. “Keep all common areas of the premises in a clean and safe condition.”
  9. A.R.S. § 12-821.01(A), checked 2026-11-08. “Any claim that is not filed within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues is barred and no action may be maintained thereon.”
  10. A.R.S. § 33-1551(A), checked 2026-11-08. “A public or private owner, easement holder, lessee, tenant, manager or occupant of premises is not liable to a recreational user or educational user except on a showing that the owner, easement holder, lessee, tenant, manager or occupant was guilty of wilful, malicious or grossly negligent conduct”
  11. A.R.S. § 12-557(A), checked 2026-11-08. “A possessor of real property, including an owner, easement holder, lessee, renter or other occupant, does not owe a duty of care to a trespasser except to refrain from causing intentional, wilful or wanton injury.”
  12. beta.tucsonaz.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “It is your sole responsibility to confirm that the Clerk’s office has received your form.”
  13. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “All actions against any public entity or public employee shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward.”
  14. City of Tucson, Street Maintenance Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Street light issues”
  15. jp.pima.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “when the amount involved is $10,000.00 or less.”
  16. jp.pima.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “The principle amount for the claim sought cannot exceed $5,000.00”
  17. Arizona Revised Statutes 22-503, checked 2026-11-08. “does not exceed $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs”
  18. Arizona Revised Statutes 22-503, checked 2026-11-08. “Actions against this state, its political subdivisions or an officer or employee of the state or its political subdivisions in his official capacity.”
  19. Pima County Superior Court, Contact, checked 2026-11-08. “110 West Congress Street”
  20. sc.pima.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “cases valued between $1,000 and $50,000, excluding attorney’s fees and costs are subject to the FASTAR program.”
  21. A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”

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