Premises liability basics
Property owners and occupiers have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for lawful visitors. When they breach that duty and someone is injured, they can be held liable for the resulting damages.
Common causes of slip-and-fall injuries
- Wet floors without warning signs
- Snow and ice that hasn't been cleared
- Loose flooring, torn carpet, or uneven surfaces
- Poor lighting in stairwells or parking lots
- Spills left unattended in stores or restaurants
- Defective stairs, handrails, or escalators
Building a premises-liability case
To win a premises-liability claim, we generally need to prove the owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and failed to fix it or warn visitors. We preserve:
- Surveillance footage (which is often deleted within days)
- Incident reports and maintenance logs
- Photographs of the scene
- Witness statements
- The property's history of similar incidents
Common injuries
- Hip fractures (especially in older adults)
- Head injuries and concussions
- Back and spinal injuries
- Broken wrists and ankles
- Soft tissue injuries