Suffolk, Virginia Premises Liability Attorney

Name: Randall, Page & Bruch, P.C.
Address: 28319 Southampton Pkwy, Courtland, VA, 23837, US
Telephone: 757-517-8956
Price range: Free Consultation

As you go about your activities each day—shopping, taking your kids out to eat, getting your hair done at your favorite salon—you probably give little thought to becoming injured at the places you regularly frequent. Property owners in Suffolk, Virginia, have a legal obligation (duty of care) to you, a lawful visitor to their properties, to keep you safe while you are there. If the property owner or someone acting on his behalf (a store manager, for instance) fails in their duty to keep you safe, and you sustain injuries as a result, then you have the basis for filing a premises liability claim against them. A Suffolk, Virginia premises liability attorney can help you start the claims process.

Property Owners Owe a Duty of Care to Visitors

Whether you slipped and fell on ice walking into the local grocery store or fell down the deteriorated wooden steps of a friend’s apartment building, if you are harmed due to the negligence of a property owner, you can hold them liable for your injuries and damages.

In the state of Virginia, property owners owe visitors to their property, whether it be customers, clients, vendors or others, a “duty of care” to keep them reasonably safe from unforeseen harm. This means that when a store opens its doors to the public, those who enter are reasonably certain that they will be safe inside, or when a residential homeowner invites guests for a barbecue, guests are not subjected to dangerous conditions.

To file a successful premises liability claim, you (through your Suffolk, Virginia premises liability attorney) must prove that the property owner:

Owed you a duty of care because you were not trespassing and had a legal, legitimate reason to be on the premises, and
The property owner failed in his duty of care, and
Due to his failure, you sustained a serious injury that warrants the payment of damages.

The reason you are on the property is largely the determining factor in the level of care that the property owner owes you. If you come to a property to conduct business that benefits the owner, such as having your hair styled at the salon, for example, you are an invitee. Or if you are invited to a party at your neighbor’s house, then you are a licensee. Both of these types of visitors are owed the utmost duty of care. By contrast, a trespasser is owed very little when it comes to duty of care, other than the property owner not intentionally causing the trespasser harm.

What Constitutes a Premises Liability Claim?

Some common premises liability claims arise due to:

Owner’s failure to maintain a property. Broken tiles result in trip and fall incidents, or loose stair railings lead to dangerous falls.
Spills and clutter. Store aisles that are cluttered with items to be stocked or liquids spilled on the floor of a common path through the store can create dangerous conditions.
Dog bite attacks. Dogs attack guests, resulting in mauling or other injuries.
Chemicals and toxic fumes. An employee inadvertently mixes chemicals together that causes a toxic reaction, resulting in breathing difficulties for coworkers and others present.

Find out how you can recoup damages, including lost wages, pain, and suffering, and other compensation by reaching out to our seasoned Suffolk, Virginia premises liability attorneys. You can contact us for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or by calling 757-742-6115.