You should be able to trust that you will be safe when visiting another person’s property. However, not all property owners maintain their premises as they should and unexpected hazards can cause severe injuries to visitors.
If you were hurt from a slip, trip or fall while you were on private property, get in touch with a skilled personal injury attorney to discuss your rights. Depending on the circumstances, you can file a legal claim against the negligent property owner and recover compensation for your injuries and damages.
At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, our Lewisburg premises liability lawyers have years of experience in these cases. Founding Partner Jon Ostroff and Partner Rich Godshall have successfully handled many of these types of cases. For example, we represented an injured contractor who fell through a trapdoor in the home he was remodeling. He suffered severe injuries to both his shoulders and his spine. We recovered $380,000 for our client in this case. If you are considering pursuing a slip and fall legal case, reach out to our firm as soon as possible.
Property Owners’ Responsibility to Protect Visitors
Like other personal injury cases, premises liability claims revolve around the principle of “negligence.” Under this legal concept, someone who acts carelessly or recklessly, directly causing harm to another person, should bear liability for all injuries and damages. However, the legal responsibility a property owner has to a visitor varies based on their status at the time of the accident.
Invitees
Landowners owe the highest duty to “invitees,” who are people visiting a property that is open to the public or people visiting a private property for the owner’s benefit. To protect store customers and other such “invitees” from harm, landowners must exercise “ordinary care” to search their property and be sure it is reasonably safe. Property owners are required to warn visitors of known hazards and regularly inspect their property for unknown dangers.
Licensees
“Licensees” are people on the property with permission and for their own benefit, like social guests. Landowners are obligated to warn licensees of known hazards but are generally not liable for injuries caused by dangerous conditions they were not reasonably aware of. Additionally, a property owner may not be responsible for hazards that were immediately obvious to anyone paying attention.
Trespassers
Landowners even have a responsibility to trespassers—people who do not have permission to be on the property. In these cases, a property owner may face liability for injuries caused by hazards that they would logically discover or knew existed. A landowner may also be responsible for a condition they tried to repair but did not actually fix.
Additionally, a landowner may be negligent if they intentionally harmed a trespasser unless they were acting in self-defense. An attorney in Lewisburg can assess your premises liability case to determine your visitor status.
Attractive Nuisance Laws in Lewisburg
Under that state’s attractive nuisance laws, landowners may be held liable for injuries sustained by trespassing children. If your child was drawn onto someone’s land by an improperly secured structure such as an uncovered swimming pool, the landowner may be liable if your child was harmed. A lawyer in the area can further explain how liability works for property injury claims involving minors.
Speak with a Lewisburg Premises Liability Attorney About Compensation
All Pennsylvania property owners have a responsibility to keep lawful visitors reasonably safe from avoidable harm. Any owner or property manager who fails to maintain reasonably safe property conditions can bear liability for your damages. Recovering fair compensation from the negligent party can be difficult without assistance and advice from a qualified attorney.
Our Lewisburg premises liability lawyers at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can be a dependable ally throughout your case. Give us a call today to set up a free consultation.
