Were you injured because of a dangerous condition on someone else’s property in Defiance, Ohio? A Defiance premises liability lawyer at the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis can investigate what happened, determine who may be responsible, and pursue compensation for your losses. Contact us today at (419) 581-5398 to schedule a free consultation.
Property owners may have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for certain visitors. When dangerous conditions are not addressed, customers, guests, tenants, and other visitors can suffer serious injuries.
Why Choose the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis for Help After a Premises Liability Incident in Defiance, OH?
Premises liability cases often depend on what a property owner knew about a dangerous condition and what steps were taken to address it. The Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis helps people injured on unsafe property in Defiance, OH, pursue compensation for their injuries.
Our Defiance premises liability attorneys offer:
- 150 years of combined experience
- Tens of millions of dollars recovered for clients
- A practice that includes personal injury claims
- Experience pursuing compensation for people harmed by negligence
Our Defiance personal injury lawyers will handle communications with insurance companies while pursuing compensation on your behalf. Contact us today for a free consultation.
What Is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is an area of personal injury law involving unsafe conditions on another person’s property. These cases can arise when a property owner or occupier fails to use the level of care required under the circumstances.
Property owners ordinarily owe business invitees a duty to use reasonable care to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition and to warn about certain hidden dangers they know or should know about. However, Ohio’s open-and-obvious doctrine can affect whether a duty exists when a hazard is apparent.
The exact duty can depend on the visitor’s status and the facts surrounding the accident.
What Types of Accidents Can Lead to Premises Liability Claims?
Unsafe property conditions can cause many types of accidents. A claim may arise at a store, restaurant, apartment complex, office, hotel, parking lot, or private residence.
Examples of conditions that may cause injuries include:
- Wet or slippery floors
- Broken stairs or handrails
- Uneven flooring
- Poor lighting
- Falling merchandise or objects
- Dangerous sidewalks or walkways
- Unmarked holes or changes in elevation
- Unsafe entrances and exits
- Snow or ice in certain circumstances
The existence of a dangerous condition does not automatically make a property owner liable. The facts must show that the owner or another responsible party breached a legal duty and that the breach caused the injury.
Who May Be Responsible for an Unsafe Property?
The property owner is not always the only party responsible for maintaining a location. A tenant, business operator, property management company, maintenance contractor, or another party may control the area where the accident occurred.
Potentially responsible parties can include:
- Property owners
- Commercial tenants
- Landlords
- Property management companies
- Businesses operating on the premises
- Maintenance contractors
Determining who controlled the dangerous area can be an important part of the investigation. Contracts, leases, maintenance records, and other documents may help establish which party was responsible for inspecting or maintaining the property.
What Evidence Can Help Prove a Premises Liability Claim?
Property conditions can change soon after an accident. A spill may be cleaned, broken equipment may be repaired, or surveillance video may be erased.
Useful evidence in a premises liability case may include:
- Photos and videos of the dangerous condition
- Surveillance footage
- Witness statements
- Incident reports
- Inspection records
- Cleaning and maintenance logs
- Prior complaints
- Medical records
- Photos of the injuries
Taking photos of the hazard soon after an accident can be especially useful when the condition is temporary.
An attorney can also seek relevant records held by the property owner, business, or other parties that may help establish what happened.
What Damages Can You Recover After a Premises Liability Accident?
A premises liability injury can cause both economic and non-economic damages. If a property owner or another party is legally responsible, an injured person may be able to pursue compensation for losses such as:
- Economic damages: Medical expenses, future medical care, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and other financial losses
- Non-economic damages: Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and other personal effects of the injury
The damages available depend on the severity of the injuries, supporting evidence, and other circumstances of the case. Medical records, bills, employment records, and other documentation can help establish the extent of these losses.
Contact Our Defiance Premises Liability Lawyers Today for a Free Consultation
An injury on someone else’s property may support a claim when an owner or another responsible party failed to address an unsafe condition. Determining liability can require evidence about the hazard, how long it existed, who controlled the property, and what the responsible party knew about it.
A Defiance premises liability attorney at the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis can investigate the accident, identify responsible parties, and pursue compensation for your injuries and losses. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about your legal rights and options.
