Premises liability accidents can occur in many different settings and due to a variety of contributing factors. Injuries suffered in a business, on someone's private property, or other similar locations may be covered under the property owner's insurance policy.
If you or a family member has suffered a serious injury following an accident on someone else's property, Davis Law Group can help. Our firm has a great deal of experience with premises liability claims and can help you get what you deserve for your injuries and other damages. Our attorneys have the skill and experience necessary to protect your legal rights and represent you in negotiations with the insurance company responsible for covering accidents on a property or other premises.
Through claims processes, mediation, arbitration, and trial work, our attorneys will advocate on your behalf to ensure that you are satisfied with the outcome of your premises liability case.
Premises Liability Laws in Washington
In Washington state, personal injury claims are governed by common law. This essentially means that a person’s “status” is taken into account when they enter a piece of property. Along those lines, there are three types of classifications of visitors:
- Invitee. These individuals have explicitly been invited by the landowner to the property. These are usually friends, family, neighbors, or customers to a business.
- Licensee. A public licensee is someone who enters a property in response to an implied or express invitation for a purpose for which the land is held open to the public. This is often a salesman, social guest, etc.
- Trespasser. This individual has no legal right from the owner to be on the property. The owner has no liability for potential injuries that may occur.
The circumstances surrounding a person's classification or status as a visitor is important in premises liability claims, as trespassers are typically less likely to succeed in holding a property owner liable for their injuries. If you have any questions about these issues or would like to speak with an attorney about your potential case, use the confidential contact form on this page or call our office at (206) 727-4000 to request a free legal consultation.
Important Steps To Take After An Injury
If you have been injured in a premise liability accident, there are a few important steps that you should take in order to ensure you are as prepared as possible to pursue your personal injury claim. Some of the most important steps include:
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible to receive a clear diagnosis of your injuries and other medical complications that may have resulted from the accident.
- If the incident occurs at a business or location where people are present, report the incident to staff or the appropriate person(s). This will create a record of your situation and ensure that important details are captured.
- Take pictures of the scene, including the specific object(s) or person(s) who may have contributed to your accident. Photographic evidence is extremely helpful in premises liability cases.
- Gather contact information of witnesses, employees, or other bystanders who may have important testimony about your incident.
- If a person at the premise asks you to sign any documents, you should hold on to those documents but do not sign them.
- The shoes and other clothing that you were wearing at the time of the incident may be important as your personal injury claim progresses. Documenting these important details can save you a lot of headache down the line.
Common Locations of Premises Liability Injuries
The legal concept of premises liability holds property owners, managers and occupiers to a legal duty to provide a reasonably safe environment for those that visit the premises. This may apply to customers, service personnel, patrons, or residents. Premises liability claims can happen in a variety of areas, including:
- Residences
- Office Parks & Buildings
- Restaurants
- Theaters
- Shopping Malls
- Swimming Pools
- Hotels & Motels
- Dormitories
- Nursing Homes
- Sports Stadiums & Arenas
- Nightclubs & Bars
- Hospitals
- Parking Structures
- Rental Properties, Such as Airbnb, VRBO, or Homeaway
The following are some of the most common types of premises liability cases:
- Slip and Falls. When a person is injured on someone else’s property. This may be caused by wet floors, exposed wires, broken floors, defective carpet, etc.
- Inadequate lighting. An injury that was caused by a lack of light may be seen as preventable and the property owner found negligent.
- Dog bites. The owner of a dog that bites someone may be held liable for the injuries the dog caused.
- Swimming pool accidents. The property owner of a swimming pool has an obligation to keep the pool safe and prevent accidents.
- Elevator/escalator accidents. Property owners with an escalator or elevator on the premises must properly install and maintain the equipment as to not cause injuries.
- Porch/stair collapses. Strict regulations and guidelines must be met and followed in order to prevent collapses.
- Negligent security. If someone was injured because of the property’s inadequate security, the owner may be held liable.
- Fires. The proper precautions must be taken in order to prevent fires. Faulty wiring, gas leaks, etc., may caused devastating fires.
Those are just some of the more common types of premises liability claims. The experienced attorneys at Davis Law Group know that many people in Seattle and across Washington state suffer from negligent and reckless property owners. These people are often left with serious and life-changing injuries.
If you are unsure where to turn, contact us today for a free case evaluation. Call (206) 727-4000.
Failure to Correct or Failure to Warn
In addition to examining the specifics of your case, your attorney may also look into previous lawsuits and complaints about the premises in question. An investigation may find that the unsafe conditions that led to your injuries have been encountered by others, and that the property owner took insufficient steps to correct.
Identifying such failures to correct may be done by examining building code violations, maintenance logs, or customer complaints. Your attorney must prove that the owner knew of the hazards, had reasonable time to address them, and did nothing about it.
Once a complete picture of the claim is painted, your attorney will work closely with your to recover financial compensation for the following types of damages on your behalf:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of essential services
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
If you have any questions about the particulars of your personal injury case, contact Davis Law Group today at (206) 727-4000.
Important Premises Liability Legal Questions
- Did the property owner know or should have known of a dangerous condition?
- Has the incident happened before? How many times?
- Was the danger or risk foreseeable or preventable?
- Could they have done something to make it safer?
- Is more than one person or party to blame?
- Were any other contributing causes involved?
Contact A Seattle Premises Liability Lawyer
The cost of legal services are always a major concern for people who have been injured in a premises liability accident and may have financial challenges or be unable to work. Many people believe that they cannot afford excellent legal representation. Davis Law Group attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis, which takes away the worry of affording the services of an experienced lawyer.
If our premises liability lawyer do not collect money damages for you, you don’t owe an attorney fee. We don't get paid unless you get paid. For a free case evaluation, contact Davis Law Group at (206) 727-4000, use the chat feature below or fill out the form on this page to get started.