When you get hurt on another person’s property, one of the options that could be open to you is the choice to start a premises liability claim. In a premises liability lawsuit, you’ll take aim at the property owner and claim that they knew about, or should have known about, the conditions that led to your injuries.
A successful premises liability claim could help you get the compensation you need to cover medical care as well as financial losses.
What do you need to prove your premises liability claim?
There are three elements that you will need to prove to win your premises liability claim. These include:
- Showing that there was a dangerous condition on the property when the accident happened.
- Linking the injury to the dangerous condition.
- Showing that the property owner or manager should have been aware of the dangerous conditions that led to your injuries. This includes knowing about the hazard soon enough to take steps to inform others of the risk or to take steps to repair and/or eliminate the dangerous condition.
It isn’t always simple to prove a premises liability case, but here is an example of how you could.
Imagine if you slipped and fell while walking into a local store. It had been raining, and the floors were slick.
In this case, if the rain had been going on for much of the day or the owner knew that it was possible, they should have had a rug or other textured protection in place at the front of the store. They should have had signs stating that the floor was wet or have taken action to dry the area.
If the owner had already been informed about the slick floors, then it is even more important for you to record that information when you report your fall to the staff or manager, owner or other responsible party. Then, go to the hospital. If you’re hurt badly enough, call 911 to come to the scene and have the police take a report.
Later, you can start a claim, which may help you pursue the compensation you need from the property.
