Slip and fall accidents are a common and can occur anywhere. It could happen at home, in the workplace, or any place in St. Louis that poses as a premises hazard. Slip and fall accidents are the most commonly known type of premises liability accidents. However, there is a lot more on the list than just a typical slip and fall.
A premises liability case can be filed whenever an accident or misfortunate occurrence happened in a certain place that is considered to be held liable for the situation. It is a legal concept that usually comes into play in personal injury cases. If you find yourself in this situation, you should call in a St. Louis premises liability lawyer. These lawyers are experts in the field of personal injury cases, particularly in premises liability. They will be the ones to recommend to you whether you can file a case against the owner of the property due to a defective part of the premises or unsafe conditions of the environment. Basically, any premises liability case would mean that the owner of the property failed to secure the area. For it not to be called a safe place for people to be in.
Premises Liability In Missouri
In Missouri, all property owners – may it be a residential or commercial property – have the legal responsibility to maintain their premises at all costs. This situation is most especially true in places wherein there is heavy foot traffic. The more unsafe the area is, the higher the risk for any accident to occur on the premises.
Under Missouri law, it is said that property owners are responsible for keeping their property a safe place. That means taking all the needed measures to ensure that every aspect of the place is safe and every mechanism of any device is working fine. Property owners must take reasonable care to identify and immediately repair the dangers that may exist on their property, and it is also their duty to warn guests or patrons of existing dangers. This includes arranging temporary fencing and post signs.
The term premises liability, however, is considered to be a general term. The usual cases that are considered to be under premises liability are the following:
- slip and fall accidents
- swimming pool accidents
- dog bites and attacks
- fire and toxic fumes
- inadequate building security
- snow and ice accidents
- amusement park accidents
These are just the common occurrences, but there are a lot of accidents that may be classified under premises liability. Injuries in these situations range from minor to severe, and could sometimes be the cause of one’s permanent disability or death. These reasons make it all the more crucial to consult with a St. Louis premises liability lawyer.
What Can A Premises Liability Lawyer Do For You?
Since it has been established that any premises liability accidents can happen anytime and anywhere, you must know how to deal with these cases. The first step that you should take is to immediately get the services of a St. Louis premises liability lawyer. Let’s take a look at what your lawyer could do to help you out:
Give you legal advice
Since slip and fall accidents happen almost every day, but not all people are informed that they can sue the place responsible for such an accident to happen. This is primarily because they do not have a St. Louis premises liability lawyer with them who is going to inform them of their legal rights.
With that in mind, your premises liability lawyer can help assess the situation of whether the property owner is really at fault for negligence that caused such injuries. After this legal consultation, your lawyer could then give you options as to how you can move forward with the case.
Gather the needed evidence
For any kind of premises liability cases, there will always be strong pieces of evidence that are needed to prove that the property owner had indeed overlooked the safety of the premises. Your lawyer could help gather the needed evidence and assess which ones would be of help to your case. Some of the common examples of evidence your lawyer could obtain are the following:
- Photos of the place – usual cases to be considered are spills, potholes unsecured extension cords, carpeting, swimming pools, loose railings, damaged steps or sidewalks, ice or snow accumulation, and broken locks
- Surveillance videos
- Personal accounts of possible eyewitnesses
- Other people who have sustained injuries in the place
- Safety and maintenance records of the place
Prove that there is negligence on the part of the property owner
It is the job of any St. Louis premises liability lawyer to prove that the property owner was negligent about the safety of his premises, therefore causing the accident. To win this case, lawyers should prove the following:
- There is something dangerous or hazardous condition that existed on the property.
- The property owner or management knew or should have known about the existing hazard.
- The owner failed to exercise ordinary care to fix the situation or warn guests of its existence.
- The claimant sustained injuries, whether it be minor or major, as a result of the property’s hazard.
Once your premises liability lawyer was able to prove that there is due negligence on the part of the property owner, you can use this to get the best compensation deal you can get depending on the severity of the injuries you have sustained.
When You Are Injured In Someone Else’s Property, Call A Premises Liability Attorney Right Away
Accidents can happen anytime. However, these could be avoided if property owners are mindful about securing the safety of their properties. If you have encountered any type of accident on someone else’s property, you should call for the services of a St. Louis premises liability attorney right away. Doing so will help you assess the situation as soon as possible and take the needed legal actions.
)
Recent Comments