Premises Liability
Slip and fall victims have rights.
Injuries can and do happen anywhere. When property owners fail to maintain a safe environment for visitors, they can be held liable for injuries which occur.
Learn more from our blogs on this topic:
Signing a waiver at a venue: risks and liabilities | What I should do if I’ve been hit in a crosswalk | Financial future assured for restaurant injury victim | Baby girl receives lifetime care for disabling injury | What is liability? | What really happens if you are in a slip and fall incident? | Were you injured at a private residence?
What the law says:
- Property owners must keep property reasonably safe for all visitors, but are not required to keep all people safe from all things.
- Owners must regularly inspect their property and all approaches (stairs, ramps, paths, parking lots) for safety concerns and take reasonable precautions.
- Generally, property owners must have known or should have known about the danger in order to be liable.
Slip and Fall
When you visit a store, restaurant, office or other public location, you should be able to safely move around the property. When property owners do not reasonably maintain their property, slip and fall incidents can result from:
- Unmarked hazards like wet or slippery surfaces
- Stairwells in need of repair
- Blocked paths that should be clear, like grocery store aisles
- Low or unlit paths or walkways
- Accumulated ice or snow
Your personal injury must be resolved or a lawsuit filed within two years of the incident. If you are only seeking property damages, you have four years to file.
Parking lot injuries
- While fatalities are rare in parking lots, many incidents occur here which cause injuries and property damage. Some parking lot injuries result from:
- Hit and run by a driver
- Distracted drivers
- Disrepair like potholes, low lighting, broken curbs
- Slippery conditions from ice
- Lack of signage
Negligent Security
Property owners of apartment complexes, parking garages, strip malls, restaurants, gas stations and other public areas are required to understand local crime rates and protect their guests with reasonable measures. If they don’t provide appropriate security, it is more likely that injuries will occur from assault, mugging, theft, and other more serious crime. If you have been the victim of a crime that occurred, at least in part, because the location was not reasonably safe, you may have a claim against the property owner.