Injury On Property May Be Grounds For Premises Liability Claim
June 18, 2015
When an injury accident occurs on someone else’s property in Pennsylvania, the person who owns this property is considered liable. Different types of accidents leading to premises liability claims can take place, with the most common being slip-and-fall accidents. Both residential property owners and business property owners as well as municipalities are responsible for taking care of their properties in Pennsylvania.
Narrow stairs, poor lighting, changes in a business’s flooring or even torn carpeting can cause injuries to visitors to a commercial establishment. People can also be injured if they fall down a business’s flight of stairs or if they trip on a cracked or broken public sidewalk in a city. Other hazards that can further be grounds for a premises liability suit include potholes, which can cause people to trip and fall.
In the residential setting, landlords might be held liable for injuries suffered by tenants and third parties on a rental property. The tenant in this type of scenario has to show that the condition causing his or her slip-and-fall on the property was within the landlord’s control. The tenant must also show that the cost of fixing this condition would not have been unreasonable.
When people are injured on other individuals’ properties, they have the right to seek justice in a Pennsylvania civil court. A monetary award in a premises liability case may help the victim to pay for medical treatment associated with the injury; it can even cover the loss of wages if the injury prevented the person from going back to work for a time. Competent proof of negligence is required to establish financial responsibility in such a case.
