A premises liability case is a type of personal injury case that involves suffering an injury due to the negligence of another party. In a premises liability case, the accident occurs on someone else’s property because they failed to reduce or eliminate a dangerous situation. The most common and well-known type of premises liability case is known as a “slip and fall accident”, but there are many types of personal injury cases that fall under the category of premises liability. To help you better understand this topic, we have described some common types of premises liability cases that occur around the Northeast Florida or Southeast Georgia areas.
Inadequate Property Maintenance
Property owners that do not maintain their property, or fail to fix dangerous conditions, are putting visitors and occupants at risk of injury. The property owner has a duty to maintain its property and structures in order to keep people safe. If a part of the structure fails, such as a roof leak causing a wet floor, and as a result a resident or visitor is injured, that person has a claim against the property owner. In this circumstance, the injured party should contact a premises liability attorney to make a claim and gather evidence, especially about liability, before that evidence is lost or “disappears.”
Negligent Security
Apartment buildings and properties with professional offices tend to have some type of security to limit access to the public. Building security ranges from doorkeepers and security guards to keyless-remote access doors. A building owner or operator who fails to provide adequate security can be held liable if a tenant or visitor is assaulted, injured or killed by someone who gained improper access to the property. The owners of buildings in high crime neighborhoods have a duty to provide and maintain security that is designed to protect residents and visitors. Insufficient lighting is often a major contributor to an unsafe property, in addition to many other factors. These cases are best handled by a personal injury attorney who specializes in security and premises liability law.
Accidents During a Hotel Stay
Hotel owners and operators have a duty of care to their guests to provide a safe place to stay. In turn, a guest has the right to expect that the hotel will be free from hazards during the duration of their visit. Rooms should contain no hazardous materials or objects, working door locks are an absolute necessity, and bathrooms should be free from mold and mildew. Bathtubs and showers should have non-slip surfaces and ADA-approved grab bars. All areas of the hotel should have properly working smoke detectors and safe escalators/elevators. The hotel swimming pool should have adequate security to prevent drownings. A hotel guest who has suffered injuries in Jacksonville, FL or South Georgia, as the result of an unsafe hotel environment should consult with a premises liability attorney about their case.
Parking Lot Accidents
Walking from your parked car to a store is a simple process of going from point A to point B, but only if the property owner or operator has kept the parking lot and walkways in good shape. Divots, cracks, potholes, and other defects in the parking lot or sidewalk can cause a slip and fall when least expected. Handicap ramps are frequently not built to ADA design specifications, and cause many falls if not painted or striped to alert pedestrians of their presence. It’s true that asphalt and concrete deteriorate due to age and weather, but these issues should be expected and maintained properly. Proper maintenance from the owner or operator is a must.
Improperly Installed Displays and Shelves in Retail Stores
Supermarkets, department stores and home improvement stores are full of displays and products on shelves that may come loose and fall if not placed properly. Displays at the ends of grocery store aisles (“end caps”) are often unstable stacks of merchandise that can easily fall and cause injury. Accidents can happen when a product sticks out into an aisle where customers are walking. If the display or merchandise falls onto and injures a customer, it can trigger a premises liability case. Premises liability attorneys can help an injured party recover damages after an accident involving falling products in a store.
Spills and Wet Floors
Most injuries to customers in grocery stores are the result of spills, including items dropped on the floor by other customers, leaking containers, refrigeration condensate that drains onto the floor, excess buildup of wax, and many other causes. Store employees have a duty to look out for, prevent, and correct such hazards before a customer falls and is injured. On rainy days, mats at store entrances should be changed out, before becoming soaking wet and causing water to be tracked onto slick floors by customers coming in the door. An experienced personal injury lawyer can recognize what store personnel did or failed to do, that caused a customer to fall. Make sure your lawyer has the experience to identify and prove a store’s negligence, so that you collect the compensation you deserve.
Get in Touch with Barnes & Cohen For Help with Your Premises Liability Case
If you have been injured while visiting someone else’s property or on a property that you do not own in Southeast Georgia or Jacksonville, FL area, you may have a premises liability case. After being in business for more than 40 years, our attorneys know how to get results for you. If you are suffering, do not wait! Contact Barnes & Cohen for a free case review.