Owners of properties and people who run businesses have to protect themselves from liability by purchasing insurance and properly maintaining their facilities. They could be held financially accountable for the injuries or property damage that people suffer if they are negligent in their maintenance of the facility or if they somehow violate the law, such as building codes.
Visitors to apartment buildings, shopping malls and bookstores don’t expect to get hurt while out in public, but sometimes injuries do occur. When do people hurt on someone else’s property have grounds to make a premises liability claim?
If inadequate cleaning leads to a slip-and-fall
Whether someone spilled coffee on the floor or people track in rainwater from outside, businesses and property managers alike should prioritize cleaning up spills and accumulated liquids to keep the floors safe.
When improper cleaning, poor placement of electrical cords or bad maintenance directly leads to someone getting injured because they slip and then fall, the business or property owner may be liable. Stairways, in particular, can be a major source of risk, and they require frequent cleaning and regular maintenance to make sure that they are safe.
If animals on the premises turn violent
People who have pets in their businesses and people with pets who invite others over take a risk because their animal could become aggressive. If a dog bites and hurts someone else, whether it happens unprovoked in someone’s living room or in a store where the dog usually just lays by the front window, the person injured in that situation could bring an insurance claim or possibly a civil lawsuit.
If inadequate security contributes to criminal activity
Dark, unmonitored spaces, especially close to places where people congregate, are places that criminals could target. Those who experience theft or physical violence in a parking lot or an unlit hallway leading to a bathroom at a business could suffer major losses.
These crime victims may be in a position to hold the business or property owner responsible for the losses they suffered in that crime because the business did not take adequate steps to invest in security and deter criminal activity on their premises.
Considering a premises liability claim can help you recover the losses you suffered and hold a business accountable for putting visitors in unnecessary danger.
