Case Consultation
(423) 888-3030
Property owners have a duty to keep the public safe from harm by maintaining their properties. However, all too often people are injured in stores, commercial buildings, restaurants, fitness centers, and hotels because a property owner failed to provide a safe environment. In these circumstances, a victim of such an injury may choose to file a premises liability lawsuit against the party or parties responsible.
Premises liability cases can be incredibly complex. If you have concerns about your case, a Chattanooga premises liability lawyer could answer your questions. Work with a compassionate personal injury attorney that could potentially help you recover for your injuries and losses.
Based on an individual’s status on a piece of property, a property owner’s liability for their well-being and safety can change.
An invitee can be considered a business invitee or a social invitee depending on why they are on a piece of property. A person can be considered a business invitee when they go to a store, a bank, or a restaurant as a patron of that business. A social invitee sometimes referred to as a licensee, is a person who is not on a piece of property for an economic reason, but rather a social or work-related reason.
Under premises liability law, invitees are entitled to the highest level of care. Property owners are required to ensure that their property is safe for invitees by inspecting their property for hazards, remedying any problems they find, and warning invitees of dangers that cannot be repaired or sectioned off.
A trespasser is a person who is on another’s property when they have not been invited and have no legal permission to be there. Landowners do not have the same duty to keep trespassers safe as they do invitees. In fact, in terms of premises liability law, they are only obligated not to intentionally hurt a trespasser.
However, it is important to note that children can be an exception to this rule—and a landowner may be subsequently responsible for a child’s injuries—if the child was attracted to the premises by some element of the property. This means that landowners with features on their property that may attract children, like pools and heavy machinery, have a duty to keep children safe by properly storing or restricting access to them. If an individual’s child was injured on someone else’s property, a dedicated attorney in Chattanooga could help them file a liability claim for their injuries based on their circumstances.
Like many other types of personal injury cases, property liability claims are traditionally filed as negligence actions. In a premises liability claim in Chattanooga, an injured person and their lawyer will need to prove:
A person injured while on another person’s property may be entitled to compensation for their injuries and losses depending on the facts and circumstances of their case, as well as their legal status while on the property. Compensation can cover financial losses such as medical bills and lost wages, as well as emotional pain and suffering.
If you or someone you love has sustained an injury in a premises liability case, contact a dedicated and experienced Chattanooga premises liability lawyer today. Good legal representation may be essential to the proper investigation of the scene of the injury and examination of your case, An attorney could help ensure that accident reports are filed and doctors’ records reflect your injuries. Call now to get started on your case and know that you are in capable hands.