12 Sep What is Premises Liability?

Premises liability can be described in two useful ways for people who are not lawyers. First, it encompasses the law that describes how a landowner or property owner is responsible for the injuries suffered by people on their land. Second, it can be understood in terms of how it is applied in everyday life. Some examples can help to clarify what premise liability law is all about.

Retail Establishments

Premises liability law allows retail store owners to function with a clear idea of what their responsibilities are under the law. They typically care insurance to cover them in the even that they are sued because of an injury. Their responsibilities are not particularly demanding. They need to maintain a reasonably safe environment for the people who visit their stores. This means providing safe surfaces to walk on, providing signage to warn of hazards and making sure that their customers are discouraged from taking risks that are inappropriate. For instance, stores with high shelves oftentimes have plenty of signage warning you against trying to access the high shelves without assistance. This is an example of a storeowner being responsible.

Private Property

Homeowners do have a responsibility to provide a safe environment for guests. Cases where one private citizen ends up suing another over premise liability are not common. If you were hurt on someone's private property because they negligently did not fix a hazard, inform you of a hazard or even invited you to an area of their home that was hazardous, it may be time to contact a lawyer. An attorney can help you to determine whether or not filing a lawsuit would do you any good and whether they want to represent you in the legal claim.

Slip and fall injuries are very common reasons that people sue. They are also the most common reasons that people end up in the ER. If you have been injured on a private or retail property, be sure that you contact a lawyer as soon as possible. There are limitations on how long you have to act and, because of that, you'll need to speak with an attorney immediately to determine whether or not you should go ahead and sue.

There's no way to determine how these cases will turn out ahead of time but, if you have a good attorney, you maximize your chances of winning your claim and of getting compensation.