Premises Liability: It’s More Than Just Slip And Falls

When most people hear the term “premises liability”, they immediately think of slip-and-fall cases – perhaps you’ve had a family member fall in a puddle of water at the grocery store. While slip and falls are certainly a common type of premises liability claim, property owners and businesses can be held liable for much more than water on the floor. Any time there is a dangerous or defective condition on a property that causes someone to get injured, there could be a premises liability case. 

For example, we’ve handled cases where a client was injured after stepping on an industrial staple in his hotel room. Or, like other cases we’ve had, a customer might sit in a lobby chair that is broken or defective, causing the chair to collapse, resulting in serious injuries. Additionally, an elevator may malfunction, stop unexpectedly, or free fall — causing an unsafe condition that could result in injuries. 

All of these examples look very different from a traditional slip and fall, but they raise many of the same legal questions: Was there a dangerous condition? Did the property owner or business know, or should they have known, about the condition? And did the failure to address that hazard, or to warn an individual, contribute to the injury you sustained?

These types of cases can arise virtually anywhere – at your favorite shop, retail store, restaurants, apartment complex, office buildings, hotels, parking lots, or sporting venue. 

If you have been injured because of an unsafe condition on someone else’s property, it is important not to assume that you have no claim. The nature of the hazard may be different, but the underlying duty to maintain reasonably safe premises can still be significant. Call Brooks Law Partners today and one of our experienced premises liability attorneys can evaluate the circumstances of the incident, identify potentially responsible parties, and determine whether there’s a viable claim for you to pursue.