A property owner has a duty of care to his or her tenants or visitors. This duty includes ensuring that all the infrastructure is safely working and can be used by anyone. A similar duty is held by businesses. Employees and visitors to a business should be able to enter a property without having to worry about their safety. However, this isn't always the case. In many situations, the dangerous condition of stairwells or elevators may lead to injury. In such a case, contacting a premises liability attorney is the best step forward.
Premises liability falls under personal injury law. These personal injury attorneys help individuals who may have been injured through no fault of their own on a property owner's premises. Typically, these injuries are due to a property owner's negligence in the upkeep of his or her holdings.
Many personal injury cases are based on negligence, and premises liability cases are no exception. In order to win this type of case, the injured person must prove that the property owner was negligent with respect to ownership and/or maintenance of the property. In simple terms, negligence means that the property owner failed to use reasonable care in connection with the property.
It’s important to be aware that simply because you were injured on someone’s property does not always imply that the property owner was negligent. Further, simply because the specific property might have been in a risky condition does not automatically mean that the homeowner was negligent. You must show that the property owner knew or should realistically have known that the premises were in an unsafe condition, and still failed to take proper steps to cure the specific situation.
Take a closer look at the variety of cases.
Several types of hazardous conditions can form the basis of premises liability claims. A lot of the things that constitute reasonable care in dealing with the unsafe condition of infrastructure should be obvious to a property owner. For example, while an owner may not need to immediately fix a broken staircase, they should have things in place to ensure that someone won't fall because of the staircase's condition. Elements such as caution tape or warning signs constitute taking the care needed to inform a reasonable person of potential danger.
Premises liability accidents cause as many as thirty million emergency room visits per year, according to the CDC. Business owners such as owners of grocery stores or office buildings can be subject to these types of premises liability action. Among the most common property liability claims that a New Orleans premises liability lawyer may encounter include:
The risk of harm in any of these cases is significant, and an experienced premises liability attorney will do their part to ensure that their client gets the settlement that they deserve. Because many of these businesses have insurance, you might need to deal with their insurance companies as opposed to the business or building owner themselves. Even so, establishing the potential for injury is a significant portion of what premises liability law exists for.
If you are on someone else's property and some incident befalls you, you would want to seek out the proper redress. As the injured party, your first stop should be to a premises liability attorney. However, to win the case, you must prove that the owner of the property was liable for your injuries through their negligence. In some cases, this is a cut-and-dried situation. For example, in a case where an individual may have slipped and fell on a freshly mopped floor, if there was no indication that the floor was wet, the owner would be liable for damages.
The basic steps in proving that the owner was at fault for your injury starts with the owner knowing the hazard was present. However, in some cases, you can show that a reasonable individual would have known about the hazard being present, even though the owner may not have been informed about the hazard explicitly. The second thing that a premises liability claim hinges on is the fact that you did not willingly endanger yourself. This stipulation is necessary because of unscrupulous individuals wanting to take advantage of property owners. In such a case, the individual would have sought out a hazard that the property owner was unaware of, and caused their own injury. Finally, for the case to succeed, you must prove that the owner has a duty of care to you as a visitor to the property. This duty will vary from state to state and an experienced attorney will be able to guide you on what applies in New Orleans.
If you have a solid case, including all these aspects, seeking compensation can be a time-consuming process. While the insurance companies may be involved in dealing with some personal injury lawsuits, there are situations where you may have to address the owner directly. For example, if a property owner just has general liability coverage as opposed to specific premises liability coverage, you may need to direct your lawsuit to them as an individual, since the insurance company would not make themselves a party to the case.
Hiring a New Orleans personal injury lawyer gives you some level of support in bringing your case to a conclusion. Among the support mechanisms that these lawyers offer are:
At Wright & Gray, we dedicate ourselves to getting every client the settlement he or she needs to recover. We offer free consultations so you can see before you sign anything that we can get your case settled.
Very often, these accidents result in severe injury for the plaintiff. It's not uncommon to see injury victims suffering from head injuries, such as brain injuries. Spinal cord injuries resulting from wet floors can cause long-term pain and suffering to the individual. In such a case, many owners will settle out of court, seeing how they don't have a good case. However, some may be misled into thinking they can win the case. Luckily, personal injury law offers various settlements that the injured party can benefit from.
A negligent property owner may be held liable and ordered to pay financial compensation to the plaintiff. If there is permanent damage, the court may order them to manage the medical bills of the damaged individual over time. Additionally, if it was found that the premise owner was responsible, they may be subject to punitive damages.
If you are the victim in a premises liability case, you should consider carefully which lawyer would best represent you. The firm you choose should be able to hold business owners accountable for their negligence. Wright and Gray have the legal experience you need to see your case to successful completion. Contact us today to set up your first consultation.
If you or someone you know has been injured on someone else's property, protect your future and your rights. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
