Going to stores, restaurants, offices, and other places is part of everyday life. But sometimes accidents that injure people happen in these places. If an injury occurs on a property because of a dangerous condition, it may be a premises liability accident.
A premises liability lawyer can help if you’ve suffered an injury on someone else’s property. But what are the types of premises liability accidents? Let’s look at the different kinds of accidents that qualify as premises liability accidents and n and how a premises liability lawyer can assist.
What is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is a big part of the law that deals with accidents on other people’s property. It’s based on the idea that people who own or control property have a duty to keep it safe for visitors. Premises liability doesn’t just mean homeowners—it includes store owners, landlords, and even people in charge of public spaces like parks or government buildings.
When we talk about premises liability accidents, we’re talking about a wide range of situations. It can be a slippery floor in a grocery store, a broken step in an apartment building, a lack of security or lighting in a dark parking lot, or a hole in the ground at a construction site.
The critical thing is that if someone gets hurt because the property wasn’t kept safe, the owner might be responsible for the costs that come from that injury.
This area of law can get complicated. That’s because there are lots of factors to consider. For example, why was the person on the property? Were they invited, like a customer in a store? Were they there for their purposes, like a door-to-door salesperson? Or were they trespassing? The answer to these questions can affect whether the property owner is responsible if someone gets hurt.
Another aspect that makes premises liability tricky is that different states have different rules. Some states are stricter with property owners, while others give them more leeway. This is one reason many people choose to work with a premises liability attorney if they’ve suffered an injury on someone else’s property. They know the specific rules for their area and can determine if the case is strong enough to succeed.
Accidents that Trigger a Premises Liability Suit
Premises liability accidents can happen in all sorts of places. They might occur inside a building, like a slip and fall accident in a restaurant bathroom. Or they can happen outside, like tripping on a cracked sidewalk. They can happen in private homes, in businesses open to the public, or in spaces owned by the government. The common thread is that if you’re hurt because a property owner didn’t take reasonable steps to keep their place safe, you might have a premises liability case.
However, just because you get hurt on someone else’s property doesn’t automatically mean the owner is responsible. The law usually says that property owners need to take “reasonable” care to keep their property safe. This means they must fix problems they know about and look for potential dangers. But they’re not expected to prevent every possible accident.
For example, if a customer in a store spills a drink and someone slips on it a minute later, the store might not be responsible. They didn’t have a reasonable chance to know about the spill and clean it up. But if that spill had been there for an hour and the store didn’t do anything about it, they might be responsible if someone gets hurt.
Likewise, a gas station with a history of violent crime must do everything within reason to take adequate security measures, including installing bright lighting and functional surveillance systems. If they foresaw criminal activity happening again but failed to do anything about it, they could be held liable.
The following examples are common types of accidents that prompt premises liability claims and lawsuits. We’ll look at some of these in closer detail later.
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Accidents from poor lighting
- Injuries from falling objects
- Swimming pool accidents
- Accumulations of ice and snow
- Accidents from lack of security
- Injuries from broken stairs or elevators
- Faulty or uneven walkways
- Negligent maintenance of building infrastructure
- Defective or poorly maintained equipment
- Inadequate signage or warnings
- Uncontained hazardous substances
- Poorly maintained outdoor areas
- Fire or smoke hazards
- Inadequate fencing or barriers
- Defective or absent railings and guards
Each of these types of premises liability accidents can lead to severe injuries. Someone who slips and falls might fracture a bone or injure their spine. A person injured by a falling object can suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI). These injuries can lead to hefty medical bills, lost time at work, and a lot of pain and suffering.
That’s why premises liability law exists – to help ensure that if someone is hurt because a property owner didn’t take proper care, the injured person can get help with these costs. A premises liability lawyer can help determine if the property owner failed to meet their duty to keep the property safe, and if so, help the injured person seek compensation.
Premises Liability and Property Damages
It’s worth noting that premises liability isn’t just about accidents that cause physical injuries. It can also cover situations where someone’s property is damaged because of unsafe conditions on someone else’s property. For example, if a store’s leaky roof causes water damage to a customer’s expensive electronics, that can be a premises liability issue.
In the end, premises liability is all about ensuring that property owners take their responsibilities seriously. By holding property owners accountable when they don’t keep their properties safe, the law encourages all property owners to be more careful. It helps make all the places we visit—from stores to parks to our neighbors’ homes—safer for everyone.
If you’ve suffered an injury on someone else’s property and think it might have been because the property wasn’t kept safe, it’s a good idea to talk to a premises liability lawyer. They can help you understand your rights and determine what to do next.
How Much Will a Premises Liability Lawyer Cost?
Many premises liability lawyers offer free first meetings and work on a contingency fee so that you can get good legal representation without any upfront costs or out-of-pocket expenses. They only get paid if they successfully obtain compensation for you, taking an agreed-upon percentage of the total recovery. This arrangement allows everyone to access top-tier legal help regardless of one’s financial situation.
Don’t let an injury caused by someone else’s carelessness leave you with big bills and other problems. A premises liability attorney can help protect your rights and your future.
A Closer Look at Premises Liability Accidents
Countless preventable accidents happen because property owners or managers fail to take measures to keep their properties safe or warn about known hazards. While premises liability can encompass thousands of different scenarios, here are some of the most common types of premises liability accidents:
Slip and Fall Accidents
One of the most common types of premises liability accidents is slip and fall accidents. These can happen almost anywhere—in a grocery store, restaurant, or even a friend’s house. Slippery floors, loose rugs, or items left in walkways can all cause someone to trip and get hurt.
If you slip and fall in a public place, getting medical help is a good idea. Even if you don’t think you’re badly hurt, some injuries don’t immediately appear. After you’ve seen a doctor, you should talk to a premises liability lawyer. They can tell you if you have a good case against the property owner.
Slip and fall cases can be complex to prove. That’s because you need to show that the property owner knew about the danger or should have known about it. A lawyer who knows about premises liability can help gather evidence to support your case.
Negligent Security
Another type of premises liability accident happens when a place doesn’t have good enough security. This can mean not having enough lights in a parking lot, broken locks on apartment building doors, or not having security guards in a dangerous area.
A premises liability attorney can help you understand your rights if you get hurt because of poor security. They might investigate whether the property owner knew about safety problems but didn’t fix them. This kind of case can be hard to prove without a lawyer’s help.
Swimming Pool Accidents
Swimming pools can be fun, but they can also be dangerous. Pool owners need to have fences, locks, and warning signs to keep people safe. It can be a premises liability case if someone gets hurt in a pool because the owner didn’t follow safety rules.
These cases are often exceptionally tragic because they involve children who get hurt or drown. A premises liability lawyer can help families understand their rights if a child is hurt in a swimming pool accident. They can also work to ensure the pool owner makes their pool safer so no one else gets hurt.
Falling Objects
Sometimes, things fall from shelves or buildings and hurt people below. It can happen in a store if items aren’t stacked safely. It can also occur at a construction site if tools or materials aren’t secured.
Elevator and Escalator Accidents
We use elevators and escalators all the time without thinking about it. But when they’re not working right, they can be dangerous. Elevator doors might close too quickly, or an escalator might stop suddenly. These accidents can cause big injuries.
Amusement Park Accidents
Amusement parks are supposed to be fun, but sometimes, things go wrong. Rides might break down, safety equipment might fail, and people can get badly hurt.
These cases can be extra tricky because amusement parks often require visitors to sign papers saying they won’t sue if they get hurt. However, a premises liability lawyer can investigate whether the park failed to maintain its rides or properly train its workers.
Stairway Accidents
Stairs can be dangerous, especially if they’re not well-built or maintained. Loose handrails, uneven steps, or poor lighting can all lead to falls, which can cause serious injuries, especially for older people.
If you fall on stairs in a public place or on someone else’s property, a premises liability lawyer can help. They can investigate whether the property owner knew about problems with the stairs but didn’t fix them, which can help show that the owner didn’t take good care of their property.
Parking Garage and Parking Lot Accidents
Many premises liability accidents happen in parking garages and parking lots. Poor lighting, uneven pavement, or ice and snow can cause people to fall and get hurt. Sometimes, people get hurt by cars in parking lots because of poor design or lack of safety measures.
These cases can be complex because who’s responsible for the parking lot is not always clear. It might be the store owner, a property management company, or someone else. A premises liability lawyer can help figure out who’s responsible and work to get you help if you’ve suffered an injury.
Fire and Carbon Monoxide Accidents
Building owners must follow fire safety rules to keep people safe. These rules include having working smoke detectors, clear exit signs, fire extinguishers, and, in some cases, carbon monoxide detectors. If someone gets hurt in a fire or CO accident because a building owner didn’t follow these rules, it can be a premises liability case.
Fire accident cases can be severe because burns are such bad injuries. CO accidents can be a silent killer if they fill a property with toxic gas, while massive accumulations of CO can cause explosions.
Why You Need a Premises Liability Lawyer
If you’ve suffered an injury in any of these accidents, you should talk to a premises liability lawyer. Here’s why:
They Know the Law
Premises liability law can be complicated and confusing. There are rules about what property owners have to do to keep people safe. A premises liability lawyer knows all these rules and can tell you if you have a good case.
They Can Gather Evidence
To win a premises liability case, you must show that the property owner did something wrong. It might mean getting security camera footage, talking to witnesses, or having an expert look at where you got hurt. A premises liability lawyer knows how to do all of this.
They Can Handle the Insurance Companies
After an accident, you might hear from the property owner’s insurance company. They might offer you money to settle your case. But this offer might not be enough to cover all your costs. A premises liability lawyer can talk to the insurance company to get you more money.
They Can Take Your Case to Court
Most premises liability cases get settled without going to court. But sometimes, the property owner or their insurance company won’t offer enough money. If this happens, an experienced trial lawyer can take your case to court and argue it before a judge or jury.
They Can Help You Get Fair Compensation
If you’ve suffered an injury, you might have a lot of costs. Medical bills, lost income if you can’t work, and other expenses can add up fast. A premises liability lawyer can help ensure you get enough money to cover all these costs, plus money for your pain and suffering.
They Can Help You Understand Your Rights
After an accident, you might not know what to do. A premises liability lawyer can explain your rights and options. They can help decide whether to accept a settlement offer or go to court.
They Can Help You Focus on Getting Better
Dealing with a legal case can be stressful. When you have a lawyer, they can handle the legal stuff while you focus on getting better. It can help reduce your stress and help you recover faster.
Get Help from a Dedicated Premises Liability Lawyer
If you’ve suffered an injury on someone else’s property, don’t wait to get help. A premises liability lawyer can review your case and tell you what to do next. They can help you get the money you need for medical care and other costs.
At Cook, Barkett, Ponder & Wolz, our team of experienced premises liability attorneys is ready to fight for you. We know that we can’t undo your accident or erase your injuries, but we can help obtain the compensation you deserve – compensation that will give you the space and time to recover and rebuild your life.
Call us today at (573) 335-6651 or fill out our quick online contact form to schedule a free consultation. Don’t try to handle a premises liability case on your own. These cases can be complicated, and the property owner’s insurance company will have lawyers on their side. You need someone on your side, too.