What is premises liability?

Many serious injuries occur as a result of slip and fall accidents. Dangerous premises accidents are quite common and often occur as a result of negligence by property owners or business owners. Property owners and business proprietors have a legal duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions on their premises. When you’re injured in a premises accident, you may be able to obtain compensation in a premises liability lawsuit. With the help of a skilled attorney from our firm, you can hold the negligent property owner responsible when any of the following is true:

The property owner created a dangerous or defective condition, whether deliberately or unintentionally, that led to your injury.

The property owner knew about the dangerous or defective condition that ultimately caused your injury and did nothing to repair it or provide cautionary signage.

The property owner should have known about the dangerous or defective condition that made the premises unsuitable or unsafe and that ultimately caused your injury.

Types of premises liability accident cases

Slip and fall accidents are not the only types of accidents that can lead to premises liability personal injuries. In fact, “premises liability” is the term used to describe any accident that occurs on a property that the owner has the responsibility to satisfactorily maintain. Slip and fall law also applies to you as a pedestrian or bicycle rider if you are hurt because of an unsafe construction site or if you are bitten by an unleashed dog.

Even “slip and fall” is a broad legal term that actually encompasses the following types of premises liability accidents:

Slip and fall — You’re injured slipping on water, ice, snow, grease or other slippery materials that cover a floor or walkway lacking cautionary signage.

Trip and fall — You’re injured tripping on an object left in a walkway that should be clear, such as when a product falls off the shelf in a grocery store aisle.

Stump and fall — You’re injured stumbling over uneven pavement or sidewalk or by another object dangerously jutting out of a walkway or passageway.

Step and fall — You’re injured stepping into an unmarked hole or indentation on a walkway covered by leaves, a broken stair or other area.

Helping victims gain rightful compensation for their injuries

Owners of dogs and other pets have a responsibility to keep those around their animals safe. When an owner fails to train or leash a dog or other pet, and you or your loved one suffers an animal bite or other injury as a result, the owner can be held legally accountable for the damages caused. Our firm has helped clients file injury claims following animal attacks for nearly 30 years. When handling your case, we understand how to help you obtain compensation for the financial and emotional costs of your injury, including consideration for any disfigurement, scarring, disability, impairment and psychological trauma.

Dog bite law

There is no specific dog bite statute in Texas. This means that in order to seek compensation for injuries suffered in a dog attack, you must prove that the dog was unprovoked and that the owner knew or should have known that the animal was dangerous, aggressive or likely to attack. Dog bite law does, however, provide specific regulations for dogs classified as dangerous or potentially dangerous under the dangerous dog statute. This law identifies potentially dangerous dogs as those that bite humans without provocation. It designates dangerous dogs as those that, without provocation, cause significant injuries requiring medical attention or those that have been previously designated as potentially dangerous and, without provocation, attack, bite or otherwise endanger a human’s safety.

When a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog attacks you, its owner is strictly liable for any damages or injuries inflicted. Owners of dangerous dogs also have a responsibility to keep their animals restrained or muzzled, to post a warning on their property and to register their dogs with the state. If they fail to do so, you may be able to claim gross negligence in a dog bite lawsuit.

Proving negligence

Similar to cases involving a negligent home owner, dog bite lawsuits rely on proving that the animal owner was negligent or willfully ignorant to the dangers the dog posed. Our attorneys know how to determine instances of animal owner negligence, and we  can help you achieve full and fair compensation.