A serious injury can happen anywhere at any time. When an injury occurs at another individual’s home or business property, you may have a premises liability claim. If the owners or managers of the property negligently created the dangerous condition, failed to fix the condition, or failed to warn about the condition, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries. In order to do so, though, it is important to work with a skilled Columbia premises liability attorney.
Marc Brown can provide experienced legal help for Columbia personal injuries. You can rely on Marc to build your case and help you recover the compensation that you deserve. If you’ve suffered an injury on another’s property, schedule your free consultation to discuss your case today.
What is a Premises Liability Claim?
A premises liability claim is a type of civil action that is filed against a property owner when the negligence of that property owner leads to the injury of another. In a premises liability lawsuit, an injured party can seek compensation for the full value of losses they have suffered, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering damages, and more. Premises liability lawsuits often involve:
- Poor maintenance
- Uneven or cracked sidewalks
- Code violations
- Slippery surfaces
- Poor lighting
- Missing signs
- Inadequate security
- Failure to restrain or warn of an animal
Common Premises Liability Accidents
Attorney Marc Brown is experienced in helping clients involved in various premises liability claim types to recover compensation after an accident. Some of the most common types of accidents we see include:
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Accidents in grocery stores and other businesses
- Accidents in parking lots
- Drowning or near-drowning accidents
- Injuries that occur on stairs, steps, or porches
- Dog bites
- Accidents on playgrounds
- Trampoline park accidents, which have been increasing lately.]
- Criminal actions, including shootings, assault, rape, and sexual assault (victims of crime can file a lawsuit against the owners and managers of the property where the crime occurred)
- Amusement park accidents
- Faulty elevators and escalators
- Accidents on or around construction sites
If you have been involved in an incident that occurred on another’s property, you may have a case. Call our Columbia premises liability lawyer today to find out more.
Duties Of A Property Owner
When an injury is the result of a property owner’s failure to exercise the required duty of care owed to a person who is on the property lawfully, the property owner can be held liable for the harm. The duties of a property owner include:
- Maintaining a property in a reasonably safe condition
- Remedying any known hazards on the property within a reasonable amount of time
- Providing adequate security
- Providing a warning to those who enter the property of any known hazards that cannot be immediately remedied
If a property owner fails to make a hazard known or fails to correct a known hazard in a reasonable amount of time and an injury results, the property owner can be held liable.
What to Do After Suffering an Injury on Someone Else’s Property?
Commercial property owners, such as those who own stores, hotels, and restaurants, have a heightened duty of care because they invite people onto their properties for business purposes; however, even homeowners must maintain reasonably safe premises for those who enter their property lawfully, like mail and delivery personnel, repair workers, and lawful visitors.
If you suffer an injury on someone else’s property, a cell phone becomes a convenient tool for preserving crucial evidence. After a premises injury, do the following:
- First, call 911 to request an ambulance for an emergency injury, or arrange transportation to a hospital directly from the scene of the injury
- Then, use the phone’s camera to take photos of the injury if it’s visible
- Photograph the cause of the injury, whether it’s a wet floor, icy step, collapsed balcony, or anything else that caused or contributed to the injury
- If the injury occurred in a business, ask the manager to fill out an accident or incident report and to keep any security camera footage that captured the incident
- Add the contact information of any eyewitnesses
After a premises accident, always go directly to a hospital. This not only ensures that you have the emergency medical treatment you need, but also provides evidence that your injury occurred on the property and nowhere else. Request a comprehensive medical evaluation to ensure that your medical team thoroughly assesses every injury, including those with delayed symptom presentation. Finally, request a detailed medical report that includes your injuries, the doctor’s recommendations for treatment, and your prognosis. Then, carefully follow your doctor’s instructions and hire an experienced premises liability lawyer to navigate your claim.
What Damages Can I Get In a Premises Liability Claim In Columbia?
The amount of compensation an injury victim recovers in a premises liability case depends on the severity of their injury and the full extent of the financial losses they face from the injury. Common damages recovered in premises liability cases in Columbia and elsewhere in South Carolina include the following:
- Reimbursement for medical expenses
- Anticipated future medical costs
- Out-of-pocket expenses related to the injury
- Lost wages
- Future income loss/diminished earning ability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for additional damages that apply in catastrophic injury cases, such as loss of limb, disfigurement, loss of vision, hearing loss, or diminished quality of life
If you lost a loved one in a preventable premises liability case, a wrongful death attorney from Marc Brown Law Firm is ready to help.
How A Lawyer Can Help
You deserve to feel safe when you enter another’s property, either public or private. If a hazard on a property has led to your harm, you should be compensated for the full extent of your injuries. But filing a claim can be a complex and drawn-out process, and the insurance companies won’t make it easy. It is often in your best interest to work with an experienced lawyer.
A knowledgeable slip and fall attorney in Columbia, like Marc Brown, can help to bring a successful claim by performing an in-depth investigation, collecting the right evidence, and, if necessary, hiring top experts to strengthen your case. This leads to better results during settlement negotiations and at trial.
Contact a Columbia, SC Premises Liability Attorney
Columbia premises liability lawyer, Marc Brown, is ready to sit down with you to discuss your premises liability claim and your legal options. To learn more about how we can assist you and defend your rights after being injured, request a free consultation today.