What is "premises liability?

The term "premises liability" generally refers to accidents that occur due to the negligent maintenance or unsafe or dangerous conditions upon property owned by someone other than the accident victim. Many states have laws that generally require landowners to maintain their property in a manner that does not cause injury to those that, for various reasons, visit the property. Often, these laws pertain to both business owners and homeowners. In many states, property owners and business establishments have been found to have a duty to provide a safe environment for individuals on their premises. If you are injured because a property owner or a business establishment fails to provide a safe environment, you may have a right to bring a claim for various damages incurred due to your injury. In many states, these damages include pain and suffering, medical expenses and lost wages. Premises Liability cases involve injuries sustained on the property or premises of a negligent third party. These types of cases often involve slip and fall accidents, which usually occur when a defective condition, foreign substance or object causes a fall. Crucial to settlement recovery is being able to show how long the defect or substance was there, how visible it was, and how much notice the owner had of the dangerous condition before the accident happened.

Other Personal Injury FAQs

Q: What is negligence?
A: In its most simple definition, it means that someone was careless and as a result of being careless, someone else was injured. Negligence serves as the basis for a … More
Q: What does the term "liable" mean?
A: The term liable generally means that a court has determined individual, company or some other entity caused, and is responsible for, another person's injury. … More
Q: What does the term "reasonable person" mean?
A: A person has acted negligently if he or she has departed from the conduct expected of a reasonably prudent person acting under the same or similar circumstances. The … More
Q: What does "duty" mean in a negligence lawsuit?
A: When talking about negligence, duty is the legal obligation that the law imposes on us to protect and respect the safety of others around us. That means doing … More
Q: What is contributory negligence?
A: The term “contributory negligence” is used to describe the actions of an injured person that may have also caused or contributed to his injury. For … More
Q: What is comparative negligence?
A: Comparative negligence works on a percentage basis to assign a degree of fault for the injuries suffered. For example, in a case where a person slips and falls on a … More
Q: What is the "assumption of the risk" doctrine?
A: If you have knowingly and voluntarily assumed the risk inherent in a particular action that caused an accident, you cannot sue the other person for negligence if you … More
Q: What is strict liability?
A: Some persons or companies may be held “strictly liable” for certain activities that harm others, even if they have not acted negligently or with wrongful … More
Q: What happens in a deposition?
A: If you file a personal injury lawsuit, the attorney for the defendant will likely “depose” you or take your deposition. A deposition is the process … More