What Does Premises Liability Mean?
Premises Liability Lawyer
Premises liability refers to the duty of care that a property owner or manager has to keep the property reasonably safe and hazard-free so that people won’t sustain injuries while on the property. If you do have an accident and sustain an injury while on someone else’s property, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against that person and recover compensation to pay for your medical and other expenses and losses.
Causes of Premises Liability Accidents
As a premises liability lawyer in Kansas City, MO from a firm like Royce Injury Attorneys LLC can explain, slips, trips and falls by far represent the most common types of premises liability accidents. They can occur both indoors and outdoors and can result from the owner’s or manager’s failure to do such things as the following:
- Remove snow or ice from sidewalks, parking lots, etc.
- Remove debris from sidewalks, parking lots, etc.
- Repair broken or damaged sidewalks, parking lots, etc.
- Remove spills on indoor floors
- Provide adequate lighting
- Provide adequate handrails in stairways
- Provide adequate warning of a hazard
- Provide an adequate barrier around any hazard
- Provide an adequate fence and lockable gate around a swimming pool
Premises Liability Locations
As you might expect, you can slip, trip or fall virtually anywhere, including the following:
- A neighbor’s home
- An apartment complex
- An office building
- A shopping center
- A grocery store
- An amusement park
- A water park
- A swimming pool
- A fairgrounds
Premises Liability Injuries
Unfortunately, you can sustain serious injuries when you slip, trip or fall on someone else’s property. Common injuries include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Bone fractures, especially in your arms, legs, shoulders or hips
- Severe sprains
- Severe cuts and abrasions
- Soft tissue injuries
Duty of Care
Keep in mind that a property owner’s or manager’s required duty of care is that of reasonableness. In other words, he or she is not required to maintain the property in such pristine condition as to prevent all accidents under all circumstances. For instance, many states have so-called “storm in progress” laws that allow the owner or manager to wait to begin snow, ice or debris removal until the storm that caused it ends.
Other states have laws that extend a property owner’s or manager’s duty of care to invitees or the general public only, precluding someone from receiving compensation if he or she sustains injuries while trespassing on the property.
Given the variety of state premises liability laws in effect, your best strategy if you sustain injuries on someone else’s property is to seek the advice and counsel of a local personal injury lawyer experienced in handling slip, trip and fall cases.
