It’s important to realize that property owners hold primary responsibility for the safety of residents and guests to their homes or businesses. Those who are injured due to the negligence of a property owner are often entitled to monetary compensation. In order to prove negligence, it must be established that the property owner was aware or should have been aware of unsafe conditions, and failed to take action in remedying them. The unsafe conditions must be directly responsible for causing injury. A premises liability injury lawyer in Georgetown, DE can help his or her clients to determine who is responsible in the event of an accident or injury.
Premises liability injuries cover more than just slip and fall accidents at stores. This area of practice also covers accidents due to improper maintenance and defective conditions, inadequate building security, swimming pool accidents, dog bites, elevator and escalator malfunctions that lead to injury, and injuries resulting from fire, flooding, and the presence of toxic chemicals or fumes.
Some examples that fall under these broader categories include slips and falls that are the result of snow and ice accumulation, unsecured carpets or rugs, wet or oily floors, and defective staircases, steps, and sidewalks. In the case of inadequate building security, assaults from intruders also fall under the category of property liability injury.
In most cases, personal injury liability only applies to residents and invited guests, not trespassers. There is one notable exception: if a child is trespassing on a property and incurs injury or death due to improper conditions, the property owner is sometimes held at fault. The most common manifestation of this problem is swimming pools. Unsecured pools that do not have fences and a locked gate pose a danger to children who might trespass onto the property without understanding the potential consequences. Trampoline accidents involving unattended or trespassing children form another common problem in regards to property safety and owner liability.
Both those who have been injured on someone else’s property due to owner negligence and property owners facing legal troubles due to property liability laws have rights that need to be protected. Visit Baird Mandalas Brockstedt to find a premises liability injury lawyer in Georgetown, DE or to get more information about the field of practice.