Tacoma Premises Liability Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured on someone else’s property, you may have grounds for a premises liability accident claim. In general, people who own property have a legal duty under Washington laws to maintain the property to ensure that no harm comes to those who enter it. This goes for both homeowners and business owners. If the property owner fails to maintain the condition of the property to safeguard visitors, then he/she may face a premises liability action. Our Tacoma premises liability accident attorney is well-versed in this area of the law and can help you file a claim for damages if you’ve been injured due to a property owner’s negligence.

Injured parties may be visitors to the property who have a right to be there because they were invited—such is the case when you slip and fall in a grocery store. You were invited as a member of the public to be on the premises to purchase items. Injured parties may also be tenants living in a rented home.

Some of the most common scenarios that give rise to a personal injury claim due to premises liability accidents include:

• Sidewalks or steps are uneven or broken
• Slip and fall, trip and fall
• Dog bite attacks
• Parking lots or parking garages with poor lighting
• Stairs, elevators or escalators with defects
• Broken or ill-placed safety rails
• Snow or ice buildup on walking surfaces
• Poor security or lack of security
• Shelved objects falling
• Debris stacked in aisles or elsewhere

Determining Fault in Premises Liability

In order to hold a property owner accountable, you must have a lawful and legal reason to be on the property; if you were trespassing, the owner owes you little to no duty of care—the only care owed is to avoid intentionally causing you harm. An exception to this is with attractive nuisances to children, such as when the property owner has a swimming pool or trampoline on the property. He can still be held liable if children access these attractions, even if they are not invited, so he must take precautions to keep children out, such as building a fence.

In addition to you being legally entitled to be on the property, your premises liability claim must also meet three standard elements:

• The property owner or occupier of the property created the dangerous condition that led to your injury or had knowledge of the condition.
• The property owner or occupier of the property acted reasonably to prevent the condition.
• You were not given adequate or sufficient warning about the condition in order to avoid being hurt.

Consulting With a Premises Liability Accident Attorney

Make no mistake; big insurers are not willing to part with their money without digging in tooth and nail to get rid of your claim for pennies on the dollar. Never accept a lowball offer without speaking to a seasoned attorney first. You may be compensated for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages if your case is presented in the appropriate light. Russell and Hill and our premises liability accident attorney are willing to fight for the compensation that you deserve. Set up your no-cost case review now.