Those who are visiting an office, apartment building, restaurant or retail establishment expect that the facility will be safe. After all, property owners must adhere to building codes for residential properties and many other standards for spaces open to the public.
Unfortunately, not all property owners and landlords are responsible about maintenance and repairs. Property owners often cut corners to keep their costs low, and visitors or business patrons may end up paying the price when they get hurt during a visit. Oftentimes, injuries that occur on private property give rise to premises liability claims. For example, these common situations may lead to liability for a property owner or business.
Preventable slip-and-falls
Dirty floors, loose power cords and many other maintenance issues might make the spaces inside or around a business unsafe. Although people frequently dismiss slip-and-falls as merely embarrassing and inconvenient, they send approximately a million people in the United States to the emergency room every year. When proper business facility maintenance leads to a preventable injury, the person hurt may have grounds for a premises liability claim based on negligence.
Reasonably predictable criminal activity
Businesses and property owners cannot prevent all criminal activity, and it would be an undue burden to demand that they accept responsibility for the actions of others in every case. However, there are certain kinds of crime that are reasonably predictable given the circumstances. If better security practices, like an investment in lighting or security cameras, may have deterred criminal activity, the victim of a criminal incident may have grounds to pursue a negligent security claim against the property owner.
Animal attacks
Oftentimes, dog bite incidents and similar animal attacks occur at residential properties. However, there are some offices and retail businesses that allow workers or members of the public to bring animals inside. Any place where property owners permit animals, there is a possibility of someone getting hurt. The claims resulting from such incidents may hold property owners accountable based on the location of an animal attack and the policy of the business or landlord. Sometimes, premises liability coverage for the animal’s owner will apply, often through homeowner’s insurance.
When a property owner or business may have been able to prevent someone’s injury, the injury victim may have the right to file an insurance claim or a lawsuit. Comparing one situation to the most common reasons for premises liability claims may help someone decide how to respond after getting hurt on someone else’s property.