Your premises liability case may not be as simple as you think: Let an experienced attorney take over.
If you have been injured while legally on someone else’s property, then you may have a right to compensation for your damages. It is reasonable for you to assume that you are safe on their property and if the owner has not taken appropriate steps to ensure that is the case, then they can be held responsible for your injuries. Read on to learn how these cases can become complicated and how Greg Jackson Law can help. Then call me at (817) 926-1003.
The Basics About Premises Liability in Texas
According to Texas premises liability laws, property owners are liable for any accidents and injuries on their property, within reason. Some of the most common types of premises liability cases include:
- Slip and fall
- Defective premises
- Elevator
- Swimming pool
- Fires
- Water leaks
- Dog bites
- Toxic chemicals
If a property owner is negligent in providing an environment that is reasonably safe for those who are on their property, then they may be responsible for paying for damages. Note, however, that simply being injured on a person’s property is not enough to win your case: I must be able to show that the owner of the property was negligent in their duty to keep visitors safe.
Your status on their property is important.
In order to have a valid case against the owner of the property for negligent conditions, you must be able to prove that the owner of the property did not properly maintain their property, and that this failure to maintain their property led to your injury.
The first step in doing so is determining your legal status on their property. There are three types of people who enter a person’s property:
- Invitee. If you are a customer or guest who entered the property with the consent of the owner, and for the purpose for which the property is made available to the public, then you are an invitee. You have the highest assumption of safety of all three statuses.
- Licensee. This is another person who entered the property with the consent of the owner but was not expressly invited. For example, a person who was inspecting a gas line as part of their job. The property owner does have a duty of care to protect this person but is not as high as their duty of care for invitees. This category also includes a social guest in someone’s home.
- Trespasser. As a trespasser, you would have no expectation of safety on a property you unlawfully entered. That said, the property owner cannot intentionally cause harm to trespassers. If they do, then they may be liable for damages.
Are you not sure which of these three you fall under? Are you not sure how to prove the owner of the property was negligent? Do you believe your situation is unique? Call me at (817) 926-1003 and I can answer your questions.
