Premises Liability Claims: Who is Responsible for Injuries on Your Property?

Who Is Responsible if Someone Gets Hurt on Your Property

If someone gets injured on your San Diego property, you may wonder, am I responsible? Who pays for this? These tricky legal situations can make you anxious and confused as a home or business owner.

Premises liability refers to accidents that happen to someone while they are on property owned by someone else. For example, say your neighbor slips and falls on a wet spot on your driveway. Premises liability laws determine whether you, as the property owner, are legally responsible for any injuries they sustain.

Therefore, it’s important for landowners who want to protect their interests to understand their rights and how to remedy property injuries.

Let’s examine the legal issues every San Diego home or business owner should know regarding premises liability.

Determining Negligence in San Diego Premises Liability Cases

Property owners hold a legal duty of reasonable care to keep their properties safe for visitors. If an injury occurs due to unsafe conditions, the property owner may face liability for negligence.

Establishing premises liability relies heavily on proving whether the property owner’s negligent performance directly caused the visitor’s injuries. An experienced premises liability attorney investigates how you took reasonable safety precautions to remedy known hazards on your property.

Some common scenarios that provoke premises liability claims include:

  • Slip/trip and falls due to untreated spills or uneven flooring.
  • Injuries in unsecured, unmaintained swimming pools.
  • Dog bite incidents occur when landowners don’t restrain their pets properly.

Fundamental premises liability accident questions to ask yourself:

Several questions come into play when determining premise liability:

  • Did you know about the hazard, or should you reasonably have known? For example, was that wet spot on the driveway something you saw earlier but forgot to clean up?
  • Did you fail to take reasonable safety precautions? For instance, not putting up signs alerting people to the slippery driveway.
  • If you took safety precautions, did they have shortcomings like poor parking garage lighting or lack of warning signs around a wet floor? Evidence must show that the property owner failed to address a foreseeable risk.
  • Was the person legally allowed on your property? The duty of care owed differs for someone you invited versus an uninvited trespasser.
  • Was there negligence involved? Proof must show that you breached the duty owed as a property owner.
  • Did property neglect actually cause the injury, or was an intervening force involved? For example, did an act of God open a hidden sinkhole on the property?

As you can see, premises liability situations can get complicated. The best way to protect yourself is through prevention – address potential hazards and keep your property visitor safe. But when an accident occurs, you should speak to a qualified San Diego premises liability lawyer to determine liability and advise you on moving forward.

How Injured Persons Recover Compensation for Their Injuries

After a property injury incident, the harmed party may attempt to recover damages by settling with the landowner’s insurance company or filing a premises liability lawsuit.

Your insurance companies will try to settle the injury claim quickly. However, when negotiations fail, you’ll need an experienced San Diego premises liability attorney by your side.

Your lawyer will help you negotiate a fair pretrial settlement when you’re responsible for the injury or defend your interests when the premises liability claim brought is frivolous.

Compensation Available in Premise Liability Accidents

If, after an investigation and review of the facts, you are found responsible for an accident on your property, you’ll most likely need to remedy the injured person’s harm.

Here are some common premises liability damage claims that require financial reimbursement:

  • Medical bills to cover treatment the injured person needs.
  • Lost wages if he/she had to miss work during recovery.
  • Ongoing care if there is permanent injury involved.
  • Pain and suffering damages.

Your home or business insurance usually covers these damages. So, remain in close contact with your insurance company during premises liability litigation to discover which costs your policy covers.

Our San Diego Premises Liability Attorney Can Help Injured People

Premises liability cases can be complex for victims. The laws surrounding premises duties of care and damages in California are multifaceted. These cases necessitate proving the property owner’s legal responsibilities, breaches, and resulting harms.

Successfully obtaining remedies thus requires strategic preparation and ethical presentation of evidence. Mishandling claims place victims at risk of being unable to access fair compensation.

Partnering with qualified premises liability attorneys can, therefore, benefit victims at every stage, including:

  • Accurately determining liability and legal responsibility
  • Building a convincing argument pinpointing causation
  • Negotiating tenaciously with insurance companies
  • Fighting for fair settlement offers
  • Advocating for victims’ rights if settlement talks break down

Having a dedicated legal team lessens victims’ stress and ensures their voices are heard.

Contact DP Injury Attorneys for Premise  Liability Claims Today

Property owners hold legal duties to secure their homes or businesses from hazardous conditions. So, taking proactive safety protections that protect visitors and prevent accidents wherever possible should matter most.

Identify and address potential dangers on your property. Prevention through regular safety checks and making prompt repairs is the number one way to avoid complicated premises liability litigation.

Put safeguards in place, review them regularly, and enjoy your property without worry. And if issues still crop up, you’ll know what to expect and who to turn to! DP Injury Attorneys are here to support injury victims when negligent owners skirt safety precautions.

Please contact us to discuss your claim today.

Author Bio

Arthur Paul D’Egidio is the Managing Partner of DP Injury Attorneys, a San Diego personal injury law firm. With more than 12 years of experience in California injury law, he has dedicated his practice to representing clients in a wide range of personal injury matters, including car accidents, workers’ compensation, slip and falls, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death cases.

Arthur received his Juris Doctor from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law and is a member of the State Bar of California as well as the San Diego County Bar Association. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including being named a Super Lawyer for seven straight years by Thomson Reuters and a “Top 40 Under 40” by the National Trial Lawyers.

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