What does Premises Liability Mean?
Premises Liability refers to the concept that an owner or caretaker of a property is responsible for keeping the property safe. If someone gets hurt while on the property, and it is found that it was caused because of the owner or caretakers’ negligence, the injured party could be entitled to financial recovery.
Is Premises Liability a form of negligence?
Negligence means that someone failed to take proper care in doing something. If you have been injured on someone’s property, you should consider hiring a skilled personal injury attorney to assess your potential case. Your personal injury attorney’s job is to prove that your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence.
What are the different types of premises liability?
There are several types of premises liability injuries including those caused by:
- Slip and fall
- Parking lot accidents
- Walking surfaces that have not been cared for in weather conditions such as snow, ice, wet leaves
- Uneven pavement conditions
- Elevator malfunctions
- Negligent security, such as a parking garage not safely managed creating a dangerous situation
What to do first once you have been injured on someone else’s property?
There are so many different circumstances when it comes to premises liability. Our slip and fall attorneys have had clients who have been injured while on residential and commercial property. If you get hurt while not at home, there is a good chance you have potential for a premises liability claim. The first thing to do is get yourself proper medical care. If possible, it is always good to get photographs depicting the defective condition that caused your injury. This will help your attorney build his or her case showing that the property was not properly cared for.
What many people don’t realize, is that even dog bite injuries can count as premises liability cases, as the dog owner created a dangerous situation for those on the property. Ever heard of a mailman getting bitten by a dog? Our Cherry Hill injury attorneys have represented postal workers and other delivery workers that were injured by dogs while making deliveries. With Americans relying on deliveries as a common way of getting our groceries and goods, our injury attorneys are seeing an uptick in delivery workers getting injured on recipients’ property while making deliveries.
What to prove to win a premises liability case?
There are a few things your attorney will need to do in order to win your premises liability case or obtain a favorable settlement.
- That the person causing the injury was the property owner or person charged with taking care and maintaining the property.
- That the plaintiff was, in fact, harmed on the property.
- The defendant’s negligence was a significant cause of the harm to the plaintiff.
Do I have a premises liability claim?
If you were injured while on someone’s property, whether that is commercial or residential, you could have a premises liability claim IF:
- You were lawfully on the property.
- Your injury was due to a dangerous condition on the property that could have been prevented. Property owners and caretakers have a responsibility to make sure that conditions are safe. Even if the defendant did not know about the property condition, but SHOULD have known, it is still their responsibility.
What if I was injured on government property?
There is a special set of laws that govern how to handle premises liability cases when on a property owned by a government entity, whether that is a municipality in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or the Federal Government. Navigating these special laws takes specialized experience, which our team of premises liability lawyers have. Our team of injury attorneys have handled several cases dealing with New Jersey Tort Claims Act, Pennsylvania Sovereign Immunity Act, and Federal Tort Claims Act – all which dictate how injury cases are handled when occurring on government property.
If you have been injured while on someone else’s property call our injury lawyers to discuss your potential case: 856-942-1218