An accident on someone else’s property can lead to serious physical harm. You may suffer injuries that cause massive financial and personal losses—all because someone failed to keep their property safe.
Civil cases for these types of incidents fall under a special category of personal injury law called “premises liability.” It can be difficult to understand these laws without a legal background. Working with a seasoned injury attorney can be vital to holding a reckless person or landowner responsible for your injuries.
At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, we fight tirelessly for our clients. Founding Partner Jon Ostroff and our winning team recovered $380,000 on behalf of a contractor who suffered spinal and shoulder injuries after falling through a trapdoor while remodeling a home. Do not wait to seek legal help after an accident. Contact a skilled Bensalem premises liability lawyer today and let us get to work for you.
When Can You Sue a Property Owner for an Injury?
Landowners in Pennsylvania are not automatically liable under state law for an accident on their land. Their liability stems from a failure to uphold their “duty of care,” meaning the responsibility to take care of their land and protect visitors from harm. A landlord’s “duty of care” depends on what category an injured visitor falls under. A Bensalem premises liability attorney can help you determine your legal status at the time of your accident and explain how this affects your potential compensation claim.
Invitees
Property owners have an exceptionally high duty of care to protect “invitees.” This category includes properties thjat are visited for the benefit of the owner. This includes people like shoppers in retail stores, because of the benefit they receive from a customer visiting the owner’s business. This category also covers people that attend a seminar, religious service, deliver goods to a property, or are on the property at the request of the owner. If an invitee gets hurt because a landowner did not maintain their land in a “reasonably safe” condition, the injured person could have grounds to file a premises liability claim.
Licensees
On the other hand, landowners are only potentially liable for injuries to “licensees” if the injury is caused by an unreasonably dangerous condition that the property owner was aware of, but did not warn visitors about. People visiting a property for their own purposes, like contractors or guests at a house party, are considered “licensees.”
Trespassers
Individuals who enter property without permission and for no benefit of the landowner are considered “trespassers.” Landowners still have a duty to protect trespassers from dangerous property conditions they are aware. Since 1993, Jon Ostroff has been able to obtain significant recoveries for trespassers that were hurt by defects known to the landowner.
Recovering for Specific Losses in Bensalem
If a property owner is found liable for your accident, they could be held financially accountable for the full extent of your losses. You could be able to recover for past, present, and future losses related to your injuries.
Specific damages that often play a role in cases like this include:
- Medical bills
- Damage to personal property
- Lost work wages
- Lost ability to work in the future
- Physical and emotional pain
- Lost consortium with a spouse
- Loss of life’s pleasures
A knowledgeable premises liability lawyer in Bensalem can explain what losses could be worked into your claim during your free initial consultation.
Talk to a Bensalem Premises Liability Attorney Today
Pursuing legal action for an injury on someone else’s land can be complicated. Pursuing a case of this nature without seasoned legal representation can be nearly impossible. It is crucial to contact an attorney as soon as possible after an injury on hazardous property.
An experienced Bensalem premises liability lawyer can help you hold the negligent party accountable and seek out the compensation you need. To learn more, give us a call today.
