Serious Premises Liability Lawyers
Accidents and injuries can occur when you least expect them. You might think that every injury is the same regardless of where it happens. However, when you’ve been injured in an accident, where it occurred makes all the difference in determining who is liable for your injuries-and how much compensation you could potentially receive.
This is especially true if the injury occurs at a place of business or if the property owner is responsible for the accident. Regardless of where your accident happened and who is responsible, the likely outcome is an injury. When that happens, you need an experienced, dedicated Dade City personal injury lawyer to help you navigate your recovery.
Work With an Experienced Dade City Premises Liability Lawyer
Robert Sparks Attorneys has built a reputation in Dade City and the surrounding area for protecting the rights of our clients, fiercely advocating for and representing them when they’re hurt and need compensation. Our proven and capable Dade City premises liability lawyers will work to find the responsible party and hold them accountable for your injuries. To learn more about how our system can work for you, contact us for a free consultation.
What Is Premises Liability in Dade City?
Premises liability is a legal standard where a property owner is responsible for:
Unsafe conditions or accidents that caused injuries and occurred on their property as a result of their negligence.
Generally speaking, both public and private property owners have a strict responsibility to keep their property safe for others. When they fail to keep their property safe, either intentionally or unintentionally, they are responsible for any injuries or accidents that occur. This, in legal terms, is known as “negligence.”
When you or a loved one are injured on another’s property because of the owner’s negligence, the owner can be held accountable for the costs associated with the injuries. Premises liability can cover a wide range of incidents, including:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Animal attacks
- Swimming pool accidents
- Stairway collapses
- Falling objects
- Fire or open flame injuries
- Electrical accidents
- Negligent security
There are a wide range of potential factors that could go into a premises liability case. A common defense for property owners revolves around “foreseeability”, or arguing that they cannot possibly be expected to cover every potential hazard for an accident. While this is technically true, the legal standard holds that an owner must exercise a “reasonable” standard of care for visitors to their property.
Types of Property Visitors in Dade City
Florida recognizes three types of property visitors, each with their own levels of protection under the law:
- Invitees – An invitee is someone who enters a property with the intent to either do business or at the invitation of the owner. This invitation can either be implied or explicit, but owners owe the highest level of care to invitees. An example would be you entering a store. You are considered an invitee of the store owner, but they are responsible for your safety while you are there.
- Licensees – Licensees are people that enter and stay on a property for the owner’s convenience or to advance their interests, with that individual’s permission and consent. Licensees are afforded the second-highest standard of care, and typically include social guests like friends or family members and include events like birthday parties or other social events.
- Trespassers – Not surprisingly, the lowest standard of care is reserved for trespassers, or someone who is illegally on another person’s property. However, there is a “discovered trespasser’s rule,” where landowner still must exercise reasonable care for the trespasser’s safety if they know that a trespasser is in fact on the property. Even though a trespasser is illegally on the property, the owner has a limited duty to prevent reckless or intentional injury.
What complicates matters is when these categories shift. Depending on where and when an accident occurs, a person may have entered the property as an invitee, but gone somewhere they shouldn’t have and are hurt as a result. At that point, they are considered a trespasser. Instances are rare, but figuring out where an accident can occur can go a long way to proving-or disproving-a premises liability case in Dade City.
Where Can Premises Liability Accidents Happen in Dade City?
Because of the wide variety of potential accidents that can occur, there are also a wide range of potential locations where an accident that leads to a premises liability claim can occur. In short, a premises liability claim can happen virtually anywhere, but here are some of the more common locations:
- Small businesses
- Retail stores
- Parking lots and garages
- Office buildings
- Amusement parks
- Movie theaters
- Bars
- Restaurants
- Homes
- Grocery stores
- Workplaces
- Public spaces
- Hotels and resorts
Again, because an accident can occur at any time, it’s extremely important that you both take necessary steps after an accident to preserve your claim and that you figure out who the responsible party is. Often, this will fall on the property owner, but it’s not always so simple.
Our Clients Say...
Dade City Premises Liability Attorneys
What should I do if I'm injured on someone else's property?
In the event that you are injured in Dade City, you should follow the same procedure that you would if you were injured anywhere else:
● Seek medical help
● Inform personnel
● Document evidence, including photos and videos
● Don’t provide a statement to anyone
These steps will allow you to take stock of any injuries, as well as getting the process started for determining liability. While there are steps in place to make that happen, our team of experienced Dade City premises liability lawyers are experts in finding at-fault parties.
How do I prove a premises liability case in Dade City?
When injured on another property, your compensation and potential recovery hinges on proving the following in a premises liability claim:
● The person or company that owns, occupies, or leases the property is responsible for your injury – Determining who owns, occupies, or leases the property can sometimes be complicated, but needs to be established to confirm liability.
● The owner was negligent in their operation or upkeep of the property – After figuring out who owns the property, you’ll have to then show that they failed in their duty of care to keep the property safe, and that failure led to your injury.
● You were injured – Any premises liability claim requires you to show that you were, in fact, injured. This will be fairly easy to do, but make sure to keep track of your medical expenses and documents that show the impact of your injury.
● The owner’s negligence was a significant factor in causing your injury – The last hurdle is shown that the owner’s negligence was foreseeable enough to have been a significant factor in causing your injury. This means that negligence does not have to be the sole cause of your injury, but it must materially contribute to it.
Schedule Your Dade City Premises Liability Consultation
The Dade City premises liability lawyers at Robert Sparks Attorneys know how difficult and frustrating an injury can be. When you’re hurt because of someone else’s negligence, it can throw your whole world into turmoil. Medical bills, treatment, rehabilitation, and missing work are all potential consequences of an injury. When this happens to you, make sure our team of dedicated and experienced Dade City premises liability lawyers is on your side. We can help you hold the at-fault parties accountable for your injuries, allowing you to get the compensation you need to aid you in your recovery. To learn more, contact us today for a free consultation.
