Anniston Premises Liability Lawyer
Premises liability law is a broad and intricate practice area. Generally, it involves the liability a property owner faces with people on their property. The duties of the property owner vary depending on the status of the visitor and the nature of the property. These two factors can be crucial in determining a potential legal outcome.
This complex area of law could be better understood with the help of an Anniston premises liability lawyer. As such, if you were injured because of someone else’s negligence and are considering filing a premises liability claim, you may want to retain an experienced personal injury attorney before doing so. With a qualified personal accident lawyer’s help, you could more effectively pursue the financial compensation to which you may be entitled.
What Is Covered Under Premises Liability Law in Anniston?
Premises liability is a broad practice area that affects a large range of property types, including:
- Sporting events
- Stores
- Churches
- Hotels
- Restaurants
An injury suffered in one of these locations or a related location due to some existing and foreseeable hazard that the property’s owner should have remedied may be grounds for a premises liability claim. An Anniston premises liability attorney could assess a situation and determine its possible value in civil court.
Expected Level of Care for Invitees
The level of care, or amount of precaution, required by the property owner towards guests varies depending on whether the individual on the property has the status of an invitee or a trespasser. In Anniston, an invitee is defined as a visitor who enters someone’s property at the express or implied invitation of the owner for the owner’s benefit. Common examples of this include customers, contractors, friends and family, and employees.
In cases where a visitor is an invitee, a landowner has a duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition to ensure that individual’s safety. Alternatively, if the premises are unsafe, they have a duty to warn the invitee of any potential dangers. Under Alabama law, a property owner generally can be found liable through premises liability law if they failed to warn the invitee of a danger they knew about or should have known about.
What is the Duty of Care to Trespassers?
In contrast to an invitee, courts in Anniston define a trespasser as someone who enters property without consent or who stays on that property after valid consent has expired. In Alabama, property owners owe less care to trespassers and therefore do not need to keep the premises safe for them nor warn them of unsafe conditions.
However, property owners may still be found liable for a trespasser’s injuries if they wantonly or intentionally injure them. This standard of care is substantially lower than the one for invitees. A Anniston premises liability lawyer could help differentiate between these two classifications and determine which one a potential client may fall under in the context of their case.
Speak with an Anniston Premises Liability Attorney
To understand the exact amount of care a property owner owed you prior to your injury on their property, you may want to employ the services of an Anniston premises liability lawyer. The required level of care owed to you varies depending on the circumstances, so it is important to ensure you understand what your role was in your situation. If you believe you or a loved one suffered injury due to a negligent party’s carelessness, you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries. Take action by calling local legal counsel today.
