When you go onto someone else’s private property, that other person is legally responsible for keeping you from getting hurt in an accident on their land. However, exactly what this responsibility—which is called a “duty of care”—means a landowner has to do to protect you can change a lot depending on:
- Why you’re visiting their property
- What type of property it is
- What purpose(s) the landowner uses that property for.
Sorting out what right you have to file a lawsuit over an injury on another person’s property, let alone actually getting a successful result, can be extremely difficult without help from an experienced personal injury attorney. With a skilled Pennsauken premises liability lawyer on your side, you’ll be able to pursue the money you need for your injury-related losses while avoiding common legal pitfalls along the way. Our team at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers aided a contractor injured in a remodeling accident, winning $380,000 for their shoulder and spine injuries. We can help you, too.
Understanding “Premises Liability” Law in New Jersey
“Premises liability” law is a subsection of personal injury law that governs accidents that happen on private property due to the property owner’s negligence. A landowner is “negligent” if they fail to keep their land in a reasonably safe condition and a visitor gets hurt.
As a knowledgeable Pennsauken premises liability attorney can explain in more detail, though, the specific “duty” a landowner owes to a visitor changes depending on the circumstances:
- If a visitor is an “invitee” visiting for the landowner’s benefit, such as a store customer, the landowner has to warn that visitor of every dangerous condition they—the landowner—already know about, and they have to inspect their property regularly so they can discover and fix new hazards reasonably soon after they appear
- If a visitor is a “licensee” visiting for their own purposes, like a houseguest at a private party, the landowner only has to provide warning about hazards they already know about and usually isn’t liable for hazards they had no knowledge of
- If a visitor is an “illegal” trespasser, the landowner usually isn’t responsible for any accidental injury that visitor suffers on their land, although they might be liable for an injury that happens because they intentionally tried to harm the trespasser—for example, by setting a trap
Holding a Landowner Accountable for Your Losses
Any landowner who’s found liable for a visitor’s injuries under any of the situations mentioned above can be made to pay for every past and future loss that visitor suffers because of their injuries, including things like:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Mental and emotional suffering
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Medical bills
- Costs of things like wheelchairs, home modifications, and in-home help
- Lost work wages or earning ability
- Personal property damage
Help from a winning premises liability lawyer in Pennsauken can be crucial to figuring out what losses you need to recover and assigning a fair value to the more subjective ones, such as “pain and suffering.”
Speak With a Pennsauken Premises Liability Attorney Today
Premises liability law works similarly to standard personal injury law in some ways and very differently in others. Handling those differences and getting a successful outcome from a lawsuit or settlement proposal isn’t something anyone should expect to accomplish on their own, especially not while dealing with a serious physical injury.
For that reason, among many others, you should make contacting a Pennsauken premises liability lawyer your top priority after getting hurt on someone else’s land. Call Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today to discuss your legal rights and options during a free consultation.
