Stuart Premises Liability, Slip & Fall Lawyer
Injured on Someone Else’s Property? Know Your Right to Claim Damages.
When property owners, business owners, and homeowners fail to address safety issues on their premises, it can result in serious injuries to innocent people. If you or a loved one has been injured due to an unsafe premises, consult an aggressive injury attorney to help you sue for damages.
The first thing you should do following an accident is to seek medical attention. Then, Stuart premises liability, slip & fall lawyer Lance Richard can help you understand your rights as an injured victim.
Lance P. Richard, P.A. aggressively pursues compensation for the victims of premises liability accidents, handling a broad range of premises liability claims such as:
- Negligent security
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Trip-and-fall accidents
Schedule an initial consultation with Lance P. Richard, P.A. to get started on your accident case today.
Three Classes of Injured Victims in Premises Liability Cases
Premises liability is a personal injury case that involves negligence on the part of a landowner or business owner. If such an individual fails to maintain safe and usable premises for invited guests, they may be liable for any ensuing accidents caused by undermaintained or hazardous conditions.
Premises liability cases are unique from standard accident cases because liability is determined based on the type of injured victim.
Different duties of care are owed based on the classification of the guest present on the property:
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Invitees: Invitees (e.g., business customers) enter a property in order to transact business or in response to the property owner’s invitation. This class of guests is owed the highest level of care, and property owners are required to keep the property in a safe and usable condition and provide notice of any dangers on the premises.
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Licensees: Licensees enter and remain on a property with the property owner’s permission and consent. This class of guests is owed the second-highest standard of care and constitutes social guests like friends and families. Property owners are expected to keep the property in a reasonably safe manner and fix or warn of any hazardous conditions.
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Trespassers: Trespassers enter a property without the property owner’s consent or knowledge. However, even then, the property owner owes a limited duty of care to prevent reckless or intentional injury.
Depending on the type of individual present on the premises, the property owner may owe them a slightly different duty of care. As a result, it is important to consult an attorney about your unique situation to determine whether you have a case for damages based on your status as an invitee or trespasser.
What Constitutes a Slip & Fall?
A slip and fall, or a trip and fall, is a type of premises liability injury that occurs when someone slips, trips, or falls due to a dangerous or hazardous condition on someone else’s property. The accident becomes a liability when the slip, trip, or fall is due to the negligence of the property owner, who owes the injured victim a duty of care in the form of safe and usable premises.
Slip and fall injuries can result from problems such as water, rain, ice, grease, or other slippery substances on a walking surface; abrupt changes in flooring; poor lighting; or a hidden hazard, such as a gap or a hard-to-see hole in the ground. An injured individual has the right to sue for damages, such as to compensate for medical bills and pain and suffering.
What to Do Following a Premises Liability Accident
Following a premises liability accident, you should take the following steps to get your case in order:
- Evaluate what type of injury was suffered (e.g., slip and fall)
- Determine what the obstruction causing the injury was (e.g., hole in the ground, water on the floor, sticky substance)
- Take pictures of the scene, if possible
- Note if any warnings were posted about the hazard
- Observe if there were any witnesses present (obtain their names and numbers immediately if so)
- Document the name of the owner of the property
- Demand an incident report
The above information is crucial for addressing the legal implications of your premises liability accident. The owner or property manager of the premises has an obligation to the safety of those who are welcomed guests on the property. They must maintain a reasonably safe environment, which includes fixing any obstructions or warning about the hazards.
If you or a loved one were injured due to an unsafe premises, contact Stuart slip & fall lawyer Lance P. Richard, P.A. for legal support. He can take a detailed look at your case to determine who is liable for your injuries and how you can obtain financial compensation to recover.
Schedule an initial consultation with Lance P. Richard, P.A. to get started.
