Premises Liability

Premises Liability

If you were in an accident on someone else’s property, you might be owed compensation. Inadequate maintenance, unkempt paths and walkways, and careless negligence can lead to injuries. A Houston premises liability lawyer can help you file a claim today.

A slip, trip, fall, or other injuries on a business or personal property may result in a life-altering impact. You may be owed reimbursement for lost wages, pain and suffering, and medical bills related to your injuries. An experienced injury attorney may be able to help guide you through your legal claim process to the best possible outcome.

Premises Liability Injuries

Injuries on personal or business properties often happen because of negligence or unsafe conditions. Some common premises liability injuries are:

  • Unsecured swimming pools
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  • Slip and fall accidents
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  • Trip and fall accidents
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  • Animal attacks
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  • Falling object injuries

While some injuries may be inconsequential, others can result in lifelong disability or even death. The injured person may file a liability case against the property owner if the cause of the accident was unsafe conditions.

Possible Premises Liability Compensation

There are two types of compensation in premises liability cases—economic damages and non-economic damages. A qualified attorney can look over the facts of a claim, decide which damages apply, and formulate the best plan to secure financial reimbursement.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are the actual, measurable expenses that come from an injury. Medical bills, long-term care costs, lost wages, rehabilitation, childcare expenses, transportation, and other documented losses are considered economic damages. There generally needs to be a solid paper trail that your lawyer can use to demonstrate the loss to claim these expenses.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are those costs that are not billed or measured. Pain and suffering and the impact of limb loss are examples of non-economic damages. A premises liability attorney may help demonstrate these harder to quantify losses in a case.

A Houston Premises Liability Attorney Can Help

Defining Invitees, Licensees, and Trespassers

The law in Houston has separate categories for injury claims based on who the injured party is in relation to the property owner. An invitee is someone who is on the property for the benefit of both parties, such as a customer in a store. The store benefits from the customer’s money, and the customer benefits from the store’s goods. A licensee is someone who is there for the benefit of only the property owner, such as a gardener or a visitor. Trespassers are just on a property for their own benefit and do nothing to serve the owner.

The three categories define the owner’s liability in the case of injury. For example, if a trespasser breaks into an owner’s home and slips and falls on a freshly mopped floor, the owner is not responsible for their injury. However, if an invitee slips and falls on a freshly mopped department store floor that was not correctly marked, the owner could be liable for the invitee’s injury.

The designation as an invitee, licensee, or trespasser impacts all aspects of the claim process.