Premises Liability Attorney

Albany | Bend | Coos Bay | Eugene | Grants Pass | Klamath Falls | Medford | East Portland | West Portland | Roseburg | Salem | Tri-Cities | Vancouver | Yakima |

Did you get hurt at your rental home or at a store? You may have a premises liability case. With premises liability cases, everything depends on the facts of your case. This is why it’s important to have experienced and competent attorneys on your side. Fortunately, OlsenDaines is here to help. We have premises liability attorneys all throughout our offices in Oregon and Washington ready to represent you.

What is Premises Liability?

Premises liability is a general rule where all property owners have a duty to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition so that people entering their property will not get hurt. This law applies to both public and private properties and is in effect to help protect people from unnecessary injury. Premises liability makes property owners responsible for any injuries and accidents that occur on their property.

Premises Liability Cases

Premises liability cases can be divided into 3 categories determined by the location of the injury.

• Business liability for injuries: If you’re injured on a business’ property as a result of negligence by the property owner or staff
• Residential injuries that occur in an apartment or home: These claims typically involve homeowner’s insurance. If you’ve suffered an injury at a home, be sure to thoroughly read through your homeowner’s insurance policy. Each year, insurance companies reject personal injury claims that aren’t covered.
• Injuries that occur in other locations: These cases are tricky because it can be difficult to determine who to make a personal injury claim against. Some properties that may fall under this category include sidewalks, garages, parking lots, and public property.

Who Does Premises Liability Protect?

Premises liability law divides the people entering the property into different categories.

• Business invitee: someone who enters the property at the invitation of and for the benefit of the property owner, like a customer. This invitation usually implies that the property owner has taken reasonable steps to make the property safe.
• Licensee: someone who enters the property for his or her own purpose but has permission by the owner.
• Social guest: someone that is a guest, present with the owner’s permission.
• Trespasser: someone who has no right to be on the property and enters without permission

Generally, a trespasser is not protected by premises liability. However, if the property owner knows you’re trespassing, and they created dangerous and hidden conditions, they could be held liable if you seriously injured yourself while on their property. Each state looks at each case differently when it comes to determining if a property owner is liable for injuries or not. Some states will only look at the injured person’s status (business invitee, licensee, etc.) while others will look at their status, actions on the property, as well as the owner’s actions, and the condition of the property. Understanding what factors the court in your state will apply is why it’s so important to consult with a knowledgable premises liability attorney like we have at OlsenDaines.

Store Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been injured while at a store or other shopping center, you may be curious if you may be able to seek compensation. Like property owners and landlords, store managers and store owners must also take steps to prevent people from getting hurt. Under premises liability law, staff must place wet-floor signs when appropriate, de-ice sidewalks, and ensure no other dangers are present on the premises. If you have been injured and the store knew about the issue but failed to resolve it, you may file a lawsuit and possibly receive compensation to cover your medical bills. You can also collect damages as a result of emotional stress and lost wages. You’ll want to talk with a store accident lawyer if you want to know if you have a case or not.

Experienced Premises Liability Attorneys

Personal injury is never cut and dried. Whether you’ve been hurt on a property or someone else has been hurt on your property, you should consider consulting with an attorney. We provide free consultations for all of our clients and we have offices all throughout Oregon and Washington. To set up an appointment contact us or fill out our online form.