When you have been hurt because of an unsafe condition on someone else’s property, you may have grounds for a premises liability case—and the owner or operator of the property can face civil liability for your injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney can help hold these people accountable by pursuing a civil lawsuit.
Premises liability suits can be based on injuries that happen anywhere, not just at commercial locations. A dangerous property claim can stem from the carelessness of homeowners, landlords, property managers, or government entities. Reach out to a Morrow premises liability lawyer for a free consultation and find out if your injury was due to the failure of a property owner or operator to maintain a safe space.
Types of Premises Liability Cases
A Morrow premises liability attorney can help you file a claim when you have been injured in a number of ways.
Slip and Fall
Slips, trips, and falls happen for many reasons, from spilled liquids on a supermarket floor to ice on a sidewalk. A property owner or tenant who fails to address fall hazards in a reasonable amount of time could be liable for any injuries that occur.
Negligent Security
When a property owner does not take reasonable steps to prevent a visitor from being the victim of a violent crime that was foreseeable, this may result in a negligent security claim. A common example of this is an apartment owner who fails to provide security measures like fencing, cameras, and adequate lighting.
Toxic Exposure
A property owner who fails to adequately store or remove harmful chemicals—which in turn make visitors sick—could be financially liable for the consequences of the toxic exposure.
When Is the Property Owner Responsible?
An owner or manager is not always responsible for injuries stemming from hazardous conditions on their property. To be liable, they either must have known or should have known about the dangerous hazard, but failed to take reasonable steps to address it. The owner or manager of the property has a responsibility to ensure the safety of visitors, including warning guests of any dangers they cannot immediately address and securing the hazardous area to prevent further injuries.
Often, these cases come down to whether the property owner or operator was reasonable; the amount of time they take to respond to a hazard is an important factor. For example, the court will consider a property owner who cleaned up a spilled liquid in a matter of minutes—rather than one who waited for days—to be more reasonable. A Morrow attorney can help you determine if the owner or operator acted reasonably in a premises liability incident.
Contact a Morrow Premises Liability Attorney
Property owners and operators are responsible for maintaining a safe environment for visitors and customers. When they fail to do so and it causes someone gets hurt, they may be held liable. When a landowner fails to ensure the safety of others, a Morrow premises liability lawyer can help. Contact Childers, Schlueter & Smith to schedule your free consultation.
