“Property Liability” (also called “Premises Liability”) refers to the liability of property owners for accidents that occur on their property. If you are injured while visiting a privately owned business or residence, or on property of the federal, state or local government you may be able to recover compensation by filing a property liability lawsuit.

Under What Circumstances May I File A Property Liability Lawsuit?

Individuals harmed on another’s property may be able to file a property liability lawsuit where the property owner fails to maintain its property free from “unreasonable dangers,” or fails to adequately warn of unreasonable dangers that it knows about (or should know about) on its property.

It’s always a good idea to consult with a knowledgeable Davis property liability attorney if you have suffered a personal injury and have questions about your next steps.

What Are Some Examples Of Property Liability Lawsuits?

Property liability lawsuits can occur in a wide variety of instances. Some examples of property liability cases include:

• Slips and falls at stores where a dangerous condition exists that an owner operator has failed to address. For example, successful property liability lawsuits have been filed where grocery stores fail to clean up spills and a patron slips and breaks a leg, or when a visitor suffers a personal injury on a defective escalator, or an individual is harmed in a poorly lit or maintained stairwell. Property liability may also apply if you have been injured in an amusement park accident or harmed at a sporting event.
• Injuries at state or federal parks. If you are visiting one of California’s numerous state or national parks and suffer a personal injury, the government may be liable for negligence if it failed to adequately warn of a danger, or allows an unreasonable danger to exist.
• Accidents that occur at a private residence. If you are a guest at a private residence, you may also be able to file a property liability lawsuit. Typical situations may include hazardous or poorly maintained walkways, or injuries that occur from dangerous or unsupervised activities – such as injuries that occur on backyard trampolines or swimming pools.

What Type Of Damages Can I Recover In Property Liability Lawsuits?

Similar to most personal injury lawsuits, if you have been injured in a property liability lawsuit, you may be able to recover numerous types of damages. Typical damages include items such as:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages (both present and future)
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional damages
• In some situations, punitive damages

What Factors Affect My Ability To Recover Money In A Property Liability Lawsuit?

Several factors affect whether you can recover damages in any type of lawsuit. Where a personal injury occurs on another’s property, one of the main considerations is the status of the visitor to the property. For example, the duty of the landowner to you may be different depending on whether you were invited to be on the property (such as a patron at a store)(called an “invitee”), if you were a social guest (a “licensee”), or whether you were a trespasser on the property.

Attorney Frederick J. Sette, of Davis ’s personal injury law firm Sette Law Office, has helped individuals throughout all of California harmed while on another’s property file property liability lawsuits and recover the compensation they deserve. To learn more about property liability, or if you or a family member has sustained injuries while on the property of another, please contact Sette Law Office.