Premises Liability

When you are injured in an accident on a property that is owned by another individual, company or other entity, you may have a case of premises liability. Premises liability is the legal responsibility a landowner, property owner and property occupants have regarding any accidents and injuries occurring on their property.

Common Causes of Premises Liability

Accidents vary and can happen in any environment. However, certain types of accidents may fall under the category of premises liability. These may include but are not limited to:

• Slip and fall type accidents
• Defective conditions or equipment
• Insufficient maintenance
• Lack of security or insufficient security

Sustaining Injuries on Premises

Slips and falls can happen when a business neglects to clean a wet floor, resulting in a customer receiving an injury. An example of an injury due to defective equipment would be the broken safety belt on an amusement park ride that causes a guest to be injured while riding. If a restaurant owner does not repair damaged tile in an entryway and a customer trips breaking a toe, it may be a case of premises liability. Insufficient security can include inadequate lighting in a parking lot or hotel stairwells that do not lock from the outside.

Proper Signage

Business and establishments must post proper signage alerting customers, visitors and even trespassers of elements that could cause potential injury. For example, a hotel with a pool must post signs stating there is not a lifeguard on duty and guest may use the pool at their own risk. They also need to post safety signs detailing CPR and rescue protocol for a swimmer in trouble.

Anyone injured in an accident on property they do not own, may wish to consult with an attorney to determine if there is premises liability involved.