Premises liability is the legal term for the risk that property owners assume when people visit their building. Either the owner or their insurance company may have to pay if someone gets hurt on their property.
Many premises liability claims have to do with negligence maintenance. Think of slip-and-fall accidents as an example. Failing to keep the floors clean and dry could lead to someone suffering a life-altering brain injury.
However, any serious personal loss that results from improper or negligent care of a property could lead to a premises liability claim. If you were the victim of a crime at or near a business, does that mean you could file a claim against the company?
Was the crime reasonably foreseeable and potentially preventable?
When determining if a business has any responsibility for a crime you experienced, you have to ask yourself if they could have reasonably foreseen the crime. If there has been a rash of muggings or assaults near their parking lot in recent years, then you could potentially argue that the business could foresee the incident.
The next question is whether the business took any steps to prevent crime from occurring. Inadequate security can easily lead to premises liability claims. Motion-activated parking lot lights, security cameras and the presence of a security professional could all go a long way toward deterring criminal activity at a business or on its property.
The less a company invests in keeping visitors safe, the stronger your claim and the bigger the losses you suffered in the crime may be. This is why you may benefit from bringing a claim against the business. They’ll likely have the necessary coverage to pay on your claim. Learning more about premises liability claims can help you asked for the compensation you deserve.
