How Do You Prove Premises Liability?

How Do You Prove Premises Liability?

Serious accidents can occur when property owners fail to maintain their premises safely and carefully. While slip and fall incidents are common, they are not the only accidents that can occur on someone else’s property.

If you suffered injuries resulting from a property owner’s careless or negligent behavior, you are not alone. An experienced premises liability lawyer can aggressively fight for your legal rights by filing a personal injury claim.

If the insurance company adjuster refuses to offer you a fair monetary settlement, your lawyer can pursue litigation in the court system on your behalf.

What Are Some Common Premises Accidents?

Accidents on someone else’s property can happen for various reasons, often due to unsafe conditions or Negligence on the part of the property owner. Understanding the most common types of premises accidents is essential for property owners and visitors to mitigate risks and promote safety.

Here are some prevalent types of premises accidents that may occur on someone else’s property:

• Trip and Fall Accidents – Defective sidewalks, poorly maintained walkways, or pathway obstructions can cause individuals to trip and fall. Property owners should regularly inspect and address issues like cracks, potholes, spalling, uneven surfaces, or clutter that may contribute to a trip and fall accident.
• Swimming Pool Accidents – Property owners with swimming pools must always ensure proper maintenance and safety features. Accidents in or around swimming pools, including slips on wet surfaces or injuries related to defective pool equipment, can result in legal liability for the property owner.
• Slip and Fall Accidents – Wet or slippery surfaces, uneven flooring, and failure to address hazards like food and drink spills may result in slip and fall accidents. Property owners must maintain safe conditions and promptly address potential slipping hazards.
• Elevator and Escalator Accidents – Malfunctions or lack of maintenance on public escalators and elevators can result in serious accidents. Users may experience sudden stops or drops, abrupt movements, or entrapment, leading to injuries.
• Dog Bites – While not directly connected to the property, dog bites often occur on private premises. Property owners may ultimately be responsible for injuries their pets cause, especially if they know the animal’s aggressive tendencies or bite history.
• Falling Objects – Accidents involving falling objects are common in retail stores, warehouses, or construction sites. Poorly secured merchandise, unstable shelving, or improperly stored construction materials can lead to objects falling on individuals and causing injuries.
• Staircase Accidents – Poorly maintained or poorly designed staircases can lead to accidents. Issues such as loose handrails, broken steps, or inadequate lighting on stairs may contribute to injuries, especially in locations with heavy foot traffic.
• Inadequate Security Incidents – Premises with insufficient security measures, such as low lighting, insufficient numbers of security personnel, or lack of surveillance cameras, may be prone to criminal activities like vandalism, robberies, or assaults by third parties.

Visitors have a reasonable expectation of safety when entering someone else’s property, and property owners are generally obligated to maintain safe conditions.

To prevent these common premises accidents, property owners should regularly inspect their premises, address potential hazards quickly, and implement safety measures to protect those on their properties.

Suffering Injuries in a Premises Accident

Accidents on someone else’s property can result in many different types of injuries, and the severity often depends upon factors like the type of premises accident, the nature of the property, and the conditions at the time.

Some of the most common injuries that individuals may suffer in accidents on someone else’s premises include:

• Traumatic brain and head injuries, or TBIs
• Back and spinal cord injuries
• Complete and incomplete paralysis injuries
• Soft tissue neck and back contusions
• Open cuts and lacerations
• Puncture wounds (especially with dog bite injuries)
• Bone fractures

Individuals who suffer injuries on someone else’s property need prompt medical attention and immediate legal advice to hold property owners liable for injuries resulting from these unsafe conditions.

Establishing the Legal Duty of Care

Property owners owe varying degrees of legal duty of care to individuals based on their status as invitees, licensees, or trespassers. Understanding these distinctions is crucial in premises liability, as it influences the responsibility of the property owner to ensure the safety of those who enter their property.

Property owners owe the highest legal duty of care to invitees. Invitees are individuals who enter the property with the owner’s express or implied invitation – typically for a business purpose.

Owners must exercise reasonable care to maintain safe conditions on their premises for the benefit of invitees. This includes regular inspections, prompt addressing of hazards, and providing warnings if necessary. The owner must also ensure the property is safe for the invitee’s intended use.

While the duty of care to licensees is not as high as that owed to invitees, property owners still have responsibilities. Specifically, premises owners must sufficiently warn licensees about known dangers that the licensee is unlikely to discover on their own.

For example, if there’s a concealed hazard that the owner is aware of, they must inform the licensee about that hazard. The owner must also refrain from willfully or wantonly causing harm to the licensee.

Premises owners generally owe a lower duty of care to trespassers. However, exceptions exist, especially if the owner knows about an individual’s frequent trespassing.

First, property owners must refrain from intentionally causing harm to trespassers. Additionally, suppose the owner knows that trespassing is likely (especially by young children). In that case, they may have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent harm, such as securing a swimming pool or other attractive nuisance by providing ample fencing.

These legal distinctions are crucial in determining the outcome of premises liability cases. Property owners must be mindful of their duty of care to different individuals on their premises and take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of those who enter them.

Negotiating a Premises Liability Claim Successfully

Negotiating a premises liability claim with the property owner’s insurer requires a strategic approach and thorough preparation.

Here are some key steps to enhance your negotiation process:

• Establish Negligence on the Premises Owner’s Part – Demonstrate the property owner’s Negligence by showing that they breached their duty of care, leading to the hazardous condition that caused the accident. Provide evidence of the breach and its role in the incident.
• Quantify Damages – Accurately calculate and determine the total damages incurred, including medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other relevant losses. Use bills, receipts, and professional opinions to support your claims.
• Prepare a Persuasive Demand Letter – A premises liability lawyer can craft a well-organized demand letter that clearly outlines the case facts, liability, and damages – and provides a comprehensive breakdown of the claimed amount with supporting documentation.
• Review the Available Insurance Policy Limits – A premises accident lawyer can determine the available insurance coverage, helping the injured accident victim set realistic expectations for negotiations and identify potential challenges.
• Settlement Discussions – A personal injury lawyer can initiate settlement negotiations with a well-prepared settlement demand letter and allow the insurer to review the evidence and arguments.
• Counter-offers – A premises liability lawyer can craft a counter-offer in response to the insurance company’s offer and continue negotiating until the parties reach a settlement agreement or an impasse. If the insurance company does not take the case seriously, the lawyer can file a timely personal injury lawsuit in court on behalf of the accident victim.

Approaching negotiations for a premises liability claim systematically, coupled with thorough documentation of the case, greatly enhances the likelihood of achieving a fair settlement with the property owner’s insurer.

By meticulously presenting the case details, you increase your prospects of reaching a resolution that accurately compensates for the damages incurred due to the property owner’s responsibility.

Recovering Favorable Damages in a Premises Liability Claim

In a premises liability claim or lawsuit, victims may be entitled to various types of financial compensation, known as damages, to recover losses incurred due to injuries resulting from the property owner’s Negligence.

Here are the types of financial compensation that individuals may seek in a premises liability case:

• Lost Income – Individuals may seek compensation for income lost due to their injuries. This covers the income, salaries, and other financial benefits the victim might have earned if the premises accident had not occurred. Future lost earnings may also be recoverable if the injuries result in a long-term or permanent disability, such as full or partial paralysis.
• Medical Expenses – Victims can also recover compensation for all reasonable and necessary medical expenses related to the injuries sustained on the property owner’s premises, including costs for hospitalization, doctor visits, medical procedures, and medication.
• Rehabilitation and Therapy Costs – Premises accident victims may recover damages for rehabilitation and therapy costs required to regain functionality, range-of-motion, and independence after their accident. This includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, and similar forms of rehabilitation.
• Pain and Suffering – These damages compensate for the pain, suffering, and emotional anguish that the accident victim experiences due to their injuries. This non-economic compensation is subjective and addresses the intangible aspects of the harm suffered.
• Ongoing Disability and Impairment – Compensation may be available for long-term disability, impairment, or the loss of certain bodily functions resulting from the injuries. This addresses the overall effect on the victim’s quality of life and ability to perform activities in their daily life.

In addition to damages for physical injuries, emotional distress damages cover the psychological effects of the premises liability incident. This may include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other emotional disorders resulting from the traumatic event.

Understanding the types of financial compensation available is crucial for victims pursuing a premises liability claim. Consulting a personal injury attorney is essential to assess the full scope of damages and navigate the legal process to secure fair compensation for the harm and losses incurred.

Talk with a Premises Liability Lawyer in Your Area Today

If you suffered injuries in a recent premises accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can handle every step of your case while you focus on recovering.

Specifically, your attorney can handle all dealings with the insurance company, aggressively negotiate on your behalf, or take your case to a jury trial or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceeding for a favorable result.

Case evaluations are free, so you have nothing to lose by exploring a possible claim and identifying your rights under the law. Seek professional representation right away.

Schedule a Free Initial Consultation