PREMISE LIABILITY

DID YOU KNOW PROPERTY OWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INJURIES SUSTAINED ON THEIR PROPERTY?

From slips and falls to animal attacks, accidents occurring on personal and commercial property can happen any time. Sometimes these accidents are at no fault of the property owner. However, if the owner is negligent in maintaining the property and that negligence caused your injury, you may be able to pursue a premises liability claim or lawsuit. In order to pursue a claim or lawsuit, you must prove:

• • The property owner owed a duty of care, an obligation to ensure the safety or well-being of others, to the injured person
  
  • • The property owner did not ensure the safety or well-being of others
    
• • The unsafe condition(s) caused the injury or injuries
  
• • The injury or injuries caused resulted in damages such as medical bills, medical complications, or loss of wages
  
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However, if you were not invited onto the property for a personal or business reason, the property owner can claim you were trespassing and therefore deny responsibility for your injuries. Unfortunately, in some circumstances, it can be difficult to prove the property owner was negligent. This is why it is wise to consult a premises liability attorney.

At Whitcomb Selinsky, PC, our premises liability experts, headed by Nathan J.D. Veldhuis from Virginia and Washington, DC and Doug Fields from Colorado, can assist you throughout the entire claim process. We will help establish the reasons why you were on the premises including locating witnesses and gathering physical evidence. Once we have established you were invited onto the property for either business or personal reasons, we will help prove the property owner did not ensure your safety or well-being through their own negligence. Finally, we will collect any necessary information proving the accident caused you physical or emotional damage. Once we have gathered this information, we will represent you and negotiate toward a reasonable, out-of-court settlement, or present your case in court.

There are several common types of accidents that can occur on someone’s property that can cause a personal injury. Some of the most common types of accidents are:

• • Slips and falls (inside or outside of the premises)
• • Elevator and escalator accidents
• • Swimming pool accidents
• • Animal attacks
• • Fires and explosions
• • Falling objects
  
  

If you sustained an injury on someone’s personal property, a place of business, or a government building; contact us at Whitcomb Selinsky, PC. We will work with you to determine liability and inform you of your legal options.