Establishing Negligence in Premises Liability
Property owners are responsible for maintaining their properties in a safe manner. When they fail, when someone is harmed as a result of negligence, the owners can be sued for premises liability. Premises liability lawsuits, however, can be difficult.
At Girardi | Keese, we have more than 40 years of experience handling cases involving unsafe property. Each case is unique and requires an investigation into how the accident happened and whether there was negligence.
Did property owner actions or negligence cause the accident?
When an unsafe condition exists and causes an accident, it is important to establish how long the condition existed and whether the property owner knew of the problem and had time to correct the problem.
- Expert witnesses can determine if standards of care were met. Our attorneys have a network of experts we can call on. Was the stairwell properly designed? Was the floor or sidewalk properly maintained? Engineers, architects, maintenance experts and others can contribute to our understanding of how the accident happened and whether the owner could have prevented the accident.
- Lack of maintenance can cause dangerous premises. When an elevator fell three floors and a person was injured, we found that the owner failed to provide proper maintenance. The owner was responsible for the elevator injury. Failure to keep a stairwell in good condition can cause a stairwell injury. A falling accident can be caused by unsafe railings, debris in a store aisle, torn carpet in a hallway, lack of lighting in a parking lot or a defective sidewalk.
- Negligent security can lead to dangerous attacks and serious injury. The difference between a safe environment and a dangerous one can be small but important. Broken apartment locks, lack of sufficient lighting, unsecured hotel doors or a security guard on break can provide opportunity for a criminal. When a business owner is aware of security problems and fails to deal with those problems, the owner can be held liable for injuries.
Our personal injury lawyers have the experience it takes to ask the right questions, talk to the right experts and determine whether there is a case for premises liability. If you have questions about an accident involving unsafe property, contact us. We represent clients in California and nationwide.
