For most people, it is hard to imagine how visiting a friend or family member at their home or apartment could be dangerous in any way, especially when they are already in good health and have a good relationship with the property owner. Unfortunately, not everyone maintains their private property in perfect condition, and sometimes, what seems at first like a minor hazard can result in life-altering and even life-threatening injuries.
It is more than understandable to be hesitant about filing an insurance claim over an accident on another’s property, but an experienced personal injury attorney knows that this kind of matter is often settled through insurance companies rather than having to go to court. With that in mind, anyone who suffers injury through no fault of their own should strongly consider reaching out to the best Mt. Sterling premises liability lawyer they can find when you want to make sure your recent accident does not have an unfair long-term effect on your financial security or personal well-being.
State premises liability law imposes different duties of care – in other words, different expectations for how a person should behave to keep their property in reasonably safe condition – on landowners depending on why a particular person is visiting to begin with. Most of the time, visitors to private residences are considered licensees, which a reasonable duty of care is owed to guests. This typically means the landowner would be liable for injuries caused by hazards they already knew of but did not warn their visitor about.
Unlike retail store managers and other commercial property owners, private homeowners do not have a duty to perform inspections. Thus, they are typically not liable for hazards that they did not know about, but would have been revealed during an inspection. In the same vein, it may not be possible to sue over injuries caused by open and obvious hazards that any reasonable person could have identified as dangerous – for instance, a downed power line still sparking with a live current. A top-rated Mt. Sterling attorney can go into further detail about how premises liability law works in this regard during a free case consultation.
With very rare exceptions, filing a claim against a private homeowner over an accident on their property does not mean they will have to pay out of their own pocket for damages caused by that accident. Instead, their homeowners’ insurance provider will usually cover the medical bills and damages to the injured party and take on the brunt of financial liability, which is usually beneficial both to the policyholder and to the person seeking compensation for injuries.
Both economic and non-economic damages can be factored into a premises liability settlement claim, including:
There are strict filing deadlines for premises liability claims under state law. While children under the age of 18 who are injured on someone’s property typically have a longer time period, contacting a lawyer in Mt. Sterling sooner rather than later after an accident is always wise.
Even though insurance providers are under a duty to pay for an injury on private property caused by a dangerous condition on the land, or negligent property management, for which they are legally obligated to pay, those providers will often refuse to pay anything at all unless a reputable attorney is hired by the injured person.
Fortunately, you have support available from a local Mt. Sterling premises liability lawyer who can provide free advice and advise you of your legal rights and available options after an injury at someone’s house or on another’s property. The attorneys at Maze Law Offices have successfully recovered millions of dollars for injured individuals and their families. Contact our legal team today to learn more in a free consultation with Maze Law Offices.
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