Accidents can happen anywhere, including property owned or managed by another person or entity. If you have been injured on property owned or controlled by another person or entity (e.g., a shopping center, an apartment complex, a hotel, a grocery store, a gas station, a nightclub, etc.), and that injury was caused by the owner’s negligence, a Georgia premises liability attorney may be able to help you. An injured person can bring a premises liability case against the person or entity that owns or controls the property if that person or entity failed to maintain the property in a reasonably safe condition.
Establishing fault in premises liability cases can be very complicated. Whether the property owner or property manager/management company is responsible depends on several factors, including whether the injured party was an invitee, a licensee, or a trespasser, and whether the injured party had knowledge of the specific hazard that caused his or her injury. Our skilled premises liability attorneys can help you understand whether you have a claim and help you navigate through the legal process of recovering compensation for your injuries
Types of Premises Liability Claims Our Attorneys Handle
Our team handles premises liability cases involving a broad of range of issues such as:
- Slip and fall;
- Inadequate security at apartment homes, shopping centers, bars, nightclubs, etc.;
- Landlord negligence;
- Inadequate care or abuse in nursing homes, personal care homes, and assisted living communities; and
- Amusement park accidents.
Who Can Bring a Personal Injury Claim?
The claimant’s status determines the property owner’s duty of care. Georgia premises liability law essentially recognizes three types of claimants: invitees, licensees, and trespassers.
An invitee is a person who has been induced (by express or implied invitation) onto the property by the property owner. Examples of invitees include store customers, tenants and their guests, people who are authorized to work on the property, restaurant guests, etc. A property owner has a duty to exercise “ordinary care” to invitees.
By contrast, a licensee is not a customer, servant, or someone else who has been invited onto the premises by the property owner. Although a licensee is permitted to be on the property, the licensee’s presence on the property is for his own benefit. An example of a licensee is a salesperson selling something to a property owner. A property owner has a duty to protect licensees from “wanton and reckless” exposure to dangerous situations on the premises.
Finally, a trespasser is someone who intentionally or unintentionally enters another person’s property without permission. A property owner merely owes a duty not to “willfully or wantonly” injure trespassers.
Contact a SMITH LAW Premises Liability Attorney for Help
The premises liability attorneys at SMITH LAW are proud advocates for their clients and work hard to get the best possible results. Call us today at (678) 889-5191 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.
Disclaimer: the information on this website isn’t legal advice and doesn’t create an attorney-client relationship. Don’t rely on the information.