If you enter someone else’s property; whether as a guest, a customer, a tenant, or in just about any other capacity; you have the right to expect that the owner of the property has maintained the property so that that you are relatively safe while on the property. This applies in all places from a private residence or apartment building, a shopping center, an office building, on city sidewalks, or in most public gathering areas.
When a property owner does not meet a reasonable standard of safety, and they have been made aware that a hazard exists, they can be held liable for any injuries you may sustain as a result. This can include any number of possible scenarios, such as:
- Falling down a flight of stairs because it is not lit well, or a handrail is broken, or the steps are in disrepair
- You or a loved one (most likely a small child) has a near drowning or drowning incident because a pool does not have a fence around it
- You are bitten by a dog that has been deemed dangerous. The dog can either be on a leash or not in these types of cases.
- You suffer burns or are electrocuted due to faulty wiring systems or malfunctioning appliances.
- You trip and fall over debris on a sidewalk while walking past a construction site.
If you are a victim of these or any other number of similar situations, you can retain the services of a premises liability attorney and seek compensation for your damages.
Proving Negligence Is the Key
In a premises liability case, the key is proving negligence on the part of the property owner. However, to do this, a premises liability attorney in Irvine must prove that the property owner was aware of the hazard that caused the accident. The owner may be able to make a valid defense and avoid paying damages if they can show they had no knowledge of the deficiency prior to the accident taking place.
Roberts Law Firm serves clients in the California cities of Newport Beach, Orange, Santa Ana, Irvine, Anaheim, and Riverside as well as serving clients throughout Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties.