Premises Liability

When you step onto public or private property, you typically expect that it will be safe for visitors. Unfortunately, not all property owners and occupiers keep their premises free of hazards. When an incident occurs, the resulting injuries can be catastrophic for guests. 

Premises liability laws come into play when someone is injured as a result of a dangerous or unsafe condition on another person’s property. Negligence is often the culprit behind these conditions. To protect the victims, premises liability laws provide a pathway to compensation for their injuries.

Pittsburgh Personal Injury Attorney Reviews Premises Liability

Premises liability applies to both public and private property, including family homes apartment complexes, mobile home parks, restaurants, bars, shopping centers, parking lots, movie theaters, grocery stores, retail shops, and many other places frequented by visitors and customers of the property owner or occupier.

In the state of Pennsylvania, guests who suffer personal injury because of a hazardous condition on another person’s property have the right in certain circumstances to seek compensation for their injuries, and the level of care required of a premises owner or occupier is determined by the type of visitor to the property. In order to win their case, the victim must prove that the property owner was in some way negligent in regards to the maintenance of their property. 

Common Causes of Injuries on Private or Public Properties

A number of factors and events can cause someone to become injured, such as:

• Lack of proper security systems in place for keeping visitors safe from intruders
• Poorly lit hallways or rooms
• Broken walkways that prove to be unsafe
• Weak staircases
• Slippery floors from spills or cleanings
• Wintry conditions like snow or ice
• Falling objects
• Failure to maintain home or property
• Malfunctioning elevators and escalators
• Automatic door failures
• Fires
• Electrocution
• Explosion
• Building collapse
• Toxic substances
• Dog bite attacks

Different Standards of Care for Visitors

When it comes to premises liability cases, the level of care that a premises owner or occupier must provide is dictated by the type of guest on their property. Pennsylvania splits visitors into three separate categories — invitees, licensees, and trespassers. Each category of guests has its own corresponding duty of care.

• Invitee — a person who has express or implied permission by the property owner or occupier to enter the premises for business or social purposes, such as a restaurant patron or shopper
• Licensee — someone who is invited, either through express or implied means, to enter a property for social or personal purposes that do not directly benefit the property’s owner
• Trespasser — anyone who enters a property without the owner or occupier’s permission and are owed the least level of care from a premises liability standpoint

Victims of personal injury in premises liability cases are entitled to compensation for their economic and non-economic damages caused by the accident. If you or a loved one is injured while visiting the property of another person, you are entitled to receive compensation for any harm caused by this accident.

If you or a loved one is injured while visiting the property of another person, you are entitled to receive compensation for any harm caused by this accident. Call or text Robert Disney at 412-999-5765 today to schedule a case consultation and learn more about your legal options.