Premises Liability: Everything You Need To Know

No matter where you are, it only takes a second for a series of events to start that could lead to injuries. If that happens, you might have to deal with a lot of things starting with medical bills. 

Luckily, there is a way to manage your financial stress after getting injured. If you were on someone else property, then you may be able to sue for premises liability. 

Premises liability is an area of the law where you can be compensated for getting injured on someone else’s property. 

If you think you might have a case for premises liability, here are some details about premises liability law to give you an idea. 

What Is Premises Liability?

Premises liability involves someone getting injured on someone else’s property. But, many factors need to be considered to figure out if the property owner can be held liable for the injury. 

Basically, the owner of the property must have contributed to the injury. For instance, the area wasn’t safe or it was defective and let that led to your injury. If they did, then you might be able to get compensation for the damages. 

On the other hand, there might not be anything you can do if you’re the injury was entirely your fault. But, you can always reach out to a lawyer if you’re not sure about the circumstances. 

However, premises liability law can be difficult to navigate. That’s because you need to be able to prove that the property owner is at fault. Not only that, but different states have different rules for premises liability. 

For instance, you might be able to get 75% of the damages if you prove that the owner was 75% at fault for your injury in some states. However, in other states, your case might be dismissed if you were even a few percent at fault. 

That’s why, you need the help of experienced Pharr Texas law firms that focus on injuries.

What Is Duty of Care in Premises Liability?

In premises liability cases, your lawyer will first need to show that the property owner owed you a duty of care. This means you need to show that you had a right to be on the property and the owner was supposed to offer you a safe environment. 

This means you could be:

  • Someone the owner or the occupier invited
  • A volunteer at the property
  • A patient or visitor at a facility
  • A customer 

Basically, you are good as long as you had a legal right to be on the property.

Common Types of Premises Liability Cases

If you’re wondering about the normal premises liability cases to see if your situation matches, here are some common examples:

  • Slipping on snow or ice
  • Slipping and falling on the property
  • Defective property
  • Inadequate maintenance
  • Dog bites
  • Elevator incident
  • Escalator incident 
  • Water leaks
  • Fires
  • Toxic chemicals
  • Inadequate building security
  • Items falling from above

The above list isn’t exhaustive. Premises liability includes hundreds of scenarios, many of which are common and others may be rare. If you want to find out whether or not you have a case, then you should speak to a lawyer and give all your facts. They will also be able to evaluate how much compensation you can expect to receive.