Premises liability cases arise when a person is injured on someone else’s property due to a dangerous condition that the owner knew about or should have known about, yet failed to warn the guest or remediate the dangerous condition. Premises liability cases frequently happen in places of business, neighbor’s houses, or on public property. When it comes to premises liability cases, insurance companies are almost always involved.
Insurance companies
To some people it is a relief to hear that insurance companies handle these claims because they would rather take a check from an insurance company than from a neighbor or family member who would have to pay for the claim out of his or her own pocket. For others who have experience in settling claims with insurance companies in the past, the thought of fighting with insurance companies to secure a fair settlement can be overwhelming and stressful. Our Mercer County premises liability attorneys recommend consulting a premises liability attorney before communicating directly with insurance companies.
Common premises liability cases
See below for some of the most common types of premises liability cases.
Slip or trip and falls
- Tripping over hard to see cords across the floor
- Poorly lit walkways or stairwells
- Poorly maintained walkways including spills that are not cleaned up or dangerous flooring such as cracked sidewalks and broken tiles
- Debris and other unexpected obstructions in walkways
Falling items
- Falling merchandise from shelves at warehouse stores or grocery stores
- Unsafe displays falling over
- Sets of shelves falling over due to heavy items stacked at the top
- Falling items from building windows or construction sites onto public sidewalks
Swimming pool accidents
- Drownings or injuries from oxygen deprivation in near drownings
- Injuries to child trespassers when pool is not locked or otherwise secured
- Spinal cord or brain injuries from dive or fall incidents
- Slippery surfaces around the pool when wet
- Injuries from loose or poorly fitted drain cover
Dog bites or attacks
- Unleashed dogs outside of the owner’s property such as public parks or the victim’s property
- Dogs with dangerous propensities not properly confined or muzzled
- Dogs who bite guests on their owner’s property
Negligent security
- Safety precautions not taken on public property where assaults or rapes have occurred.
- Unlit or poorly lit stairwells and parking lots
- Negligent security, lighting, or cameras at ATM machines
- Lack of security inside or outside of banks or payday loan companies
Fires
- Fire injuries caused by negligent hazards on someone else’s property such as unattended candles in a home with a cat, unattended fireplace fire, or out of control backyard fire pits.
- Lack of fire safety measures such as no fire extinguisher in a restaurant kitchen or lack of smoke detectors required in homes by law.
- Construction fires in office buildings or homes.
