The area of premises liability refers to the portion of law that holds property owners responsible for the state of their property. This basically means if a defect in someone’s property causes injury to another person, that property owner should probably pay for the costs that result from the injury. This seems like a reasonable expectation, but not every property owner will take responsibility after an accident.
What types of accidents are common for premises liability purposes?
Some of the more common examples of premises liability accidents include:
- Slip-and-fall accidents. This can include an injury after slipping on ice or a fall down faulty or poorly maintained stairs as well as a spill, wet spot, or otherwise slick area in a store.
- Injury due to poor security. Inadequate security can increase the risk of crime. Those injured by a crime in this situation can likely qualify for a premises liability claim.
- Accident due to poor lighting. A lack of lighting or the failure to replace broken lights can result in an accident because you could not see where you were going.
These are just some of the more common types of accidents that can result from a property owner’s failure to keep their property safe.
Who is liable for the cost of these injuries?
As noted above, in many instances the property owner is liable when a visitor, tenant or guest is injured because there is a defect in their property. In some cases, the property owner may hire a manager or landlord to care for the property. In these instances, it is likely that individual is also responsible for the accident.