You should be comfortable on someone else’s property when you are allowed to be there. The owner of the property should have done their duty to ensure the premises is safe for legal visitors, and if they haven’t done that, their negligence could lead to serious accidents that cause injuries and other damages. Our Brownsville, TX premises liability lawyer is prepared to help victims get the justice they deserve when a property owner has caused them harm.
An attorney can investigate what dangerous hazard on the property existed and how it caused you the damage that you sustained. From there, they’ll work to prove how the property owner or another party was at fault and how much they owe you in compensation for your damages. At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, we’re prepared to help you through your premises liability claim and ensure your rights are protected every step of the way.
Accidents That Could Occur on Another’s Property
After being injured on someone else’s property, your premises liability lawyer will work to find out exactly what happened. That way, they can determine who needs to be held accountable for the negligence that led to your accident. First looking at what happened allows them to pinpoint the owner’s error so that they can properly build your case.
Here are some of the most common causes of premises liability accidents that could have happened to you to cause your injuries and damages:
- Torn Carpet. When the carpet tears and lifts in a space, a person can trip while walking on a property. This could lead to them falling and sustaining injuries from the fall itself or from hitting something else on their fall.
- Rotten Flooring. Similar to carpeting, other flooring needs to be sound as well. If wooden flooring has rotted, a person could step through the floor and suffer from injuries. When these hazards are on stairwells they can be even more dangerous.
- Poor Lighting. Visitors need to see where they’re going. If the lighting is too low, a person could trip and fall. Or they could run into objects that they didn’t see because there wasn’t enough lighting where they were.
- Falling Objects. When fixtures aren’t firmly attached to the wall or other objects aren’t secure where they are, they could fall. When these strike customers and other visitors, they can cause serious injuries, especially if they’re falling from high places and hit them in the head.
- Exposed Wires. Exposed wires are dangerous for many reasons. Not only could they touch a visitor and electrocute them, but also they could start a fire and burn the property and anyone on the premises.
- Uninspected Elevators and Escalators. Equipment on a premises needs to be safe and reliable. Regular inspections keep them that way. When they fail inspections and aren’t properly maintained, a malfunctioning elevator or escalator could harm or kill the people using them.
- Snow and Ice. On sidewalks and other surfaces that visitors walk on, property owners need to clear snow and ice so that people can walk safely. If left uncleared, they could slip and fall hard on the ice or snow and suffer from severe injuries.
- Negligent Security. Property owners are responsible for keeping their visitors safe from crime. When they don’t take the necessary measures to keep their visitors safe, like security guards or security cameras, then violent crime that injures people on the premises could fall under their responsibility.
- Swimming Pools. While these can be fun to use, they can also be incredibly dangerous. If they’re not properly watched after or closed off, a swimming pool could be deadly.
- Animals. When an owner does not train or control their dog, they could roam or attack other people. Jumping on or biting other people and leaving them injured would be the fault of the dog owner because they didn’t properly restrain their pet.
Looking at this list could be overwhelming because it shows just how many ways you could get hurt on someone else’s property. What’s even more unsettling is that they are all the result of a party’s negligence, meaning they are completely preventable.
If you’ve been harmed in one of these ways, or another way that was a property owner’s fault but isn’t listed above, then you could use the help of our Brownsville, TX premises liability attorney to ensure you are represented and get justice for your damages.
Levels of Responsibility for Premises Visitors
You might be wondering when a property owner is responsible for the injuries and damages that a visitor incurs on their property. In a premises liability claim, the fault depends on the status of the person on the property. According to Texas Code, these are the difference classifications for visitors in premises liability claims:
- Invitee. When a person is fully allowed to be on the property, and was explicitly invited to enter, they are considered an invitee. They are afforded the most care, and the property owner needs to make them aware of any hazards or make all of those hazards safe. They also need to seek out any potential hazards that could be on the premises.
- Licensee. A licensee gets almost as much care as an invitee because they are also legally on the property. While they don’t get an explicit invitation, they are allowed on the property.
- Trespasser. Trespassers are on the property illegally. Therefore, they aren’t afforded the same care, and a property owner doesn’t need to fix hazards that could harm them. However, if a property owner was grossly negligent or intentionally harms the trespasser then they could be held liable.
This could all seem confusing. That’s why you need a Brownsville, TX premises liability attorney. We’ll help you determine what your status was while on the property and what level of care the property owner owed you.
Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm Will Help You
You can trust the lawyers at our firm to help you through the claims process and ensure that you feel supported every step of the way. Our Brownsville, TX premises liability lawyer is dedicated representing victims and holding the proper party accountable for their negligence. Reach out to our office today so we can get started on your claim.
