Suffering an injury that was caused by an unsafe condition on another person’s property can leave you confused and unsure of your legal rights. However, a Norwalk premises liability lawyer could help.
Those that fail to keep their premises safe for their visitors should pay the price for the injuries they are responsible for causing. A dedicated local attorney could answer your questions, explain your rights, and support you through every step of the legal process.
Premises liability dictates how and when property owners are liable for injuries sustained by others while visiting their property. Simply put, property owners are required to maintain their property with reasonable care.
However, anyone that suffers injury while on another person’s land must demonstrate that the landowner was negligent. This could be done by proving that they neglected the maintenance of the property, created an unsafe or dangerous condition, and caused the plaintiff injuries.
Plaintiffs must also show that the property owner had—or should have had—knowledge of the unsafe condition, but still failed to remedy the danger in a timely fashion. For example, if a plaintiff slips and falls on a puddle in a supermarket, they could argue that the supermarket is liable because they should have known of the puddle which poses a safety risk, and cleaned it up. A Norwalk attorney who is familiar with premises liability claims could help to determine how a landowner may be at fault.
A property owner’s duties of care differs based on the type of visitor. Legally, these are broken down into three categories: an invitee, licensee, or a trespasser.
Invitees, a group of visitors that benefit the property owner, such as business patrons, are given the greatest protections under the law. Property owners have a duty of reasonable care to maintain the property to be reasonably safe for invitees. Any unsafe condition, regardless of whether or not the owner warned the invitee, could hold a property owner liable if it leads to an injury.
Licensees are those that have been given permission—in other words, a license—to be on the property lawfully. Licensees could include social guests and handymen. Property owners have a duty to warn licensees of unreasonable risks of harm if they are aware of the condition, and if the licensee would not otherwise discover it.
Trespassers are further broken down into two categories, child trespassers and adult trespassers. Property owners still owe a duty to trespassing children, which is the duty to prevent foreseeable risks of harm that could result from artificial conditions on their property. Artificial conditions might include swimming pools or dangerous tools located on the property. Generally, however, property owners do not owe adult trespassers a duty of care.
If you were injured on another person’s property, you are likely to be overwhelmed. The process of seeking relief through the legal system could be complex and challenging, especially as you recover from your injuries. There are many procedural rules to follow and legal concepts that may be difficult to discover and apply without extensive legal knowledge and experience.
However, you are not alone. A Norwalk premises liability lawyer might be able to review your situation and help you formulate a plan for legal relief. A steadfast could help you through each step of the legal process and work to recover the compensation you deserve. Call now to get started on your claim.