Accidents occurring away from home are alarmingly common. Every day, people slip and fall or suffer a wide range of injuries on other people’s land. If you sustained harm while on property belonging to or managed by another person or entity, you might be able to sue the property owner, caretaker, or their insurance company for damages to cover the cost of your injuries and other losses.
A Moundsville premises liability lawyer could explain your legal rights, investigate the details of your accident, and help you evaluate your options. Contact our experienced personal injury attorneys at Bordas & Bordas today to learn more.
According to the law of premises liability, when you visit someone else’s land or enter their buildings, you have the right to expect that the property will be reasonably safe. If you are legally on someone else’s property, you should not have to worry about a hidden, dangerous condition on the property harming you.
Premises owners, landlords, business owners, caretakers, managers, and others in control of property owe a duty of care to keep their property reasonably safe. However, this duty of care applies differently to different classes of visitors.
If you trespass on someone else’s property by entering their land or buildings without the owner’s permission, the property owner does not usually owe you a duty of care. If you get hurt while trespassing on their land, the property owner would not typically be responsible for the cost of your injuries.
However, if your child entered the other person’s land because they saw something that enticed them, such as an unfenced trampoline, the property owner could be responsible for the cost of your child’s injuries because the unfenced trampoline acts as an attractive nuisance. The presence of a potentially dangerous trampoline creates an enticement to children and poses a risk that a property owner should have reasonably anticipated.
A licensee is someone who enters another person’s property for something other than mutual business purposes. A social guest would be a type of licensee. Property owners owe licensees a duty to fix or warn them about any hazards they know about on the property. For example, if your neighbor invites you to a dinner party, they should tell you to be careful on the broken front step.
An invitee is someone who visits another property for business purposes. Whenever you go to the grocery store or the mall, you are an invitee. As an invitee, you should receive the benefit of the highest duty of care. In addition to fixing or warning invitees about known hazards, property owners should perform regular property inspections to check for other hazards.
Our Moundsville attorneys could help you determine what class of visitor you were and see if property injury laws apply to your situation.
Dangerous property conditions that commonly lead to premises liability lawsuits include:
Our seasoned Moundsville attorneys have handled a wide range of dangerous property claims and received positive results, including a $16.9 million verdict against Walmart. We know how to help.
If you suffered an injury while on another person’s or entity’s land, you might be able to pursue a lawsuit, but you may not know where to start. Fortunately, our dedicated lawyers have the skills and the experience to help you.
Schedule your free initial consultation with a Moundsville premises liability lawyer at Bordas & Bordas to learn about your legal options.
