When you walk onto someone else’s property, you trust that the landowner has kept the premises safe. If you suffer injuries because of dangerous hazards on someone else’s land, you may have the right to bring a lawsuit to cover your losses. However, proving that the landowner was liable for your accident can be difficult without help from a seasoned attorney.
Assistance from a Reading premises liability lawyer can make all the difference in the outcome of your lawsuit or settlement proposal. With representation from Founding Partner Jon Ostroff and the team at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, you can rest assured that your case is in experienced hands. In one case, Managing Partner Rich Godshall won $485,000 for a client who suffered a broken leg after falling on an improperly maintained sidewalk. Our track record of success includes over 30,000 injury victims—let us work for you to demand the compensation you deserve.
What Can a Landowner Be Held Liable for?
Every person who allows other people onto their property is responsible for keeping their land reasonably safe. The extent of this duty depends on why a visitor is on their land. For example, landowners must do more to protect people who are there for the landowners’ financial benefit (like retail customers) than people who are visiting for their own purposes. Landowners generally don’t owe any duty to protect people trespassing on their land without permission.
Types of Property Hazards
Any dangerous condition that a landowner knows about—or reasonably should’ve discovered by regularly inspecting their property—and doesn’t take reasonable steps to fix could justify a lawsuit if it harms a lawful visitor. Common examples of dangerous conditions include:
- Broken floor tiles
- Frayed or torn carpeting
- Lack of proper lighting
- Objects falling from high places
- Exposed electrical wires
- Carbon monoxide leaks
- Defective machinery
- Leaks or spills that leave floors slippery
- Ice or snow buildup on outdoor walking surfaces
Your Reading attorney can discuss whether you can hold a property owner liable for your accident during an initial meeting.
Recovering for Property Accident Injuries
A lawsuit against a negligent property owner can include both past and future losses. This means your premises liability attorney could sue for losses that have already happened and those you are likely to experience in the future due to the accident. Specific damages that often play a role in property accident cases include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- All medical bills, including costs of future care
- All lost work income, including lost ability to work in the future
- Personal property damage
Pennsylvania law sets strict time limits for starting civil lawsuits, so talking to a premises liability lawyer in Reading should be a top priority after getting hurt on another person’s land.
Speak to a Reading Premises Liability Attorney Today
The fact that you got hurt on someone else’s private property does not automatically make the property owner legally liable for your injuries. You must prove they were at fault for your accident under Pennsylvania law. This can be challenging without skilled representation from a winning attorney at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers.
Our Reading premises liability lawyers can improve your odds of a good case result. We will fight like hell for the compensation you deserve, and you will not pay us anything until we win your case. Learn more by calling us today.
