Hazards and dangerous conditions on public or private property can cause injuries. These cases are known as premises liability cases. A person or entity that owns, possesses, or controls property is under a duty to exercise ordinary care in the property’s management to avoid exposing persons to an unreasonable risk of harm. A failure to fulfill this duty is negligence.
The types of cases that fall under premises liability are wide and could include any scenario where a condition of property was a cause of a person’s injury. Common premises liability cases involve a condition of property that directly causes injury such as an uneven sidewalk or other tripping or slipping hazard, an unmarked hole in the ground, lack of building or hand railing, or other fall hazard, or an unsafe stairway or other building code violation. Other premises liability cases may involve elevator and escalator failures, staircase and balcony collapses, fires caused by deficient and dangerous electrical systems or unsafe chemical storage.
Property conditions may also contribute to an injury that occurs off the property such as unkempt trees and foliage that prevents a passing car from seeing a traffic sign or a poorly maintained tree that falls onto a neighbor’s house. A vicious animal that escapes a property and causes harm to someone off the property may also be actionable.
You may have a premises liability case if the owner or possessor of property failed to use reasonable care in managing property and that lack of reasonable care contributed to your injury. Both private property owners and government entities may be legally responsible for dangerous conditions of property, but different rules apply to each.
Altair Law has experience holding parties responsible for injury or death in premises liability cases. If you or a loved one has been injured or lost their life due to premises liability, we can help you get compensation for medical expenses, lost income, and other support. Please feel free to contact us to discuss your case.
We provide free consultations, work on a contingency fee basis, and advance all case costs.
