Macon Premises Liability Lawyer

Property Hazards That Aren’t Obvious Until Someone Gets Hurt

Slips or trips and falls are common accidents that often seem minor at first, but can result in serious and even life-threatening injuries. When someone is injured because of hazardous conditions on property owned by someone else, these and other accidents are covered by an area of the law known as premises liability.

Premises liability law is designed to protect people from dangerous property conditions that should have been addressed, warned about or prevented altogether. But identifying who is to blame when accidents happen and holding them accountable can be complicated. That is where we come in.

The Macon premises liability lawyers at Merritt & Merritt Law Firm help people and families who have been injured in a wide range of accidents. We are experienced attorneys who have dedicated our careers to getting our clients the full compensation available under the law.

Slip and falls, trip hazards, collapsing structures, inadequate security and other unsafe conditions injure thousands of Georgians every year. These injuries often are entirely preventable, if property owners take their responsibilities seriously.

If you or a loved one has been injured in these or other accidents, our Macon premises liability lawyers are just a phone call away. Call us today at 478-845-6464 to speak with an attorney about your rights and options.

How Premises Liability Works

Premises liability is an area of personal injury law that holds property owners and occupiers responsible for injuries caused by unsafe conditions on their land or in their buildings.

Property owners and occupiers in Georgia have a legal duty to exercise ordinary care in keeping their premises safe. Visitors and others who are injured as a result of dangerous property conditions have the right to seek compensation for their injuries.

Premises liability cases commonly involve:

• Slip and fall accidents
• Trip and fall hazards
• Falling objects
• Poor lighting
• Broken stairs or railings
• Unsafe walkways or parking lots
• Structural collapses
• Inadequate security
• Swimming pool accidents

The Georgia statute governing premises liability requires property owners and occupiers to exercise ordinary care in keeping their premises safe for invitees. What that means in any given situation varies based on the circumstances.

Invitee, Licensee or Trespasser?

Premises liability claims are based on negligence, a legal theory that holds people and entities responsible when they do not live up to a “duty of care.”

The duty that a property owner owes to a person who is injured on the grounds depends on why the injured person was there in the first place. Georgia law divides visitors into three main categories: invitees, licensees and trespassers. Understanding which category applies to you is critical in determining your legal righ

Invitees

Property owners owe the highest duty of care to invitees. These are people who enter the property for a lawful purpose connected to the owner’s business or interests.

Invitees typically include:

• Business customers and clients
• Retail shoppers
• Hotel guests
• Restaurant patrons
• Apartment residents and guests
• Delivery drivers
• Maintenance workers

Property owners owe invitees a duty to maintain the premises in reasonably safe condition, address hazards that they know about or should know about in a timely manner and warn invitees of hazards that have yet been addressed.

Licensees

A licensee is someone who enters property for their own purposes with the owner’s permission. They typically include:

• Social guests
• Friends or family members
• Door-to-door visitors

Owners’ duty to licensees is more limited than that owed to invitees. Owners must not willfully or recklessly harm licensees. They also must warn of dangers on the property that are not obvious, but they generally are not obligated to inspect the property for unknown hazards.

Trespassers

A trespasser is a person who enters property without permission. Property owners generally do not owe trespassers a duty of care. That does not necessarily mean that owners cannot be held liable for injuries to trespassers in certain situations, however.

Owners cannot willfully create hazards – including traps – that are designed to injure trespassers. They also may be required to take reasonable steps to cut down on injuries if they know that people are likely to trespass on the property, especially if the trespassers are minors. Pools, trampolines, swing sets and other property features may qualify as “attractive nuisances,” which increase property owners’ responsibilities when it comes to warning children of dangers.

Types of Property Hazards That Can Cause Injuries

Property accidents do not only happen when there are visible dangers, like large spills, broken staircases or crumbling sidewalks. Some of the most serious injuries occur because of hazards that look harmless, blend into the surroundings or do not immediately become dangerous.

These hidden dangers often lead injured people to blame themselves for their injuries, even when property owners have failed to keep the premises safe. The truth is that many property accidents are not simply a matter of bad luck.

Uneven Walking Surfaces

Sidewalks, floors and walkways may look flat and smooth but contain subtle height differences that create serious trip hazards.

Floors that are worn or settling, warped wooden planks, loose bricks and tiling and sidewalk slabs disrupted by tree roots are common examples of these kinds of hazards. Even slight changes in elevation between rooms can pose serious dangers for people who do not notice them.

These sorts of irregularities often blend into the surroundings, especially in low light. People who do not expect a level surface to suddenly shift beneath their feet risk falls that can cause broken bones and head, neck and back injuries.

Slippery Floors

Not all slippery floors look wet. Many accidents happen on surfaces that appear dry and safe. That is because no one warns people that the floors are hazardous.

Hidden slip risks include:

• Newly mopped floors
• Cleaning residue
• Polished stone or tile
• Moisture in entryways
• Grease and oil that blends into flooring

Nothing looks wrong in these situations, so people walk normally. Then they suddenly lose their footing.

Poor Lighting

Proper lighting is a crucial safeguard against slips and falls and other accidents.

Dim or poorly placed lighting can make otherwise visible hazards effectively invisible. It may hide stairways with uneven steps, parking lots with potholes, walkways with cracks or debris and handrails that abruptly end, for example.

Poor lighting can also distort peoples’ depth perception, causing missteps that result in serious falls. Property owners are responsible for ensuring that lighting allows visitors to see and avoid hazards.

Unsafe Stairs

Staircases are one of the most common locations for falls. Design flaws that are not obvious can lead to severe injuries.

Inconsistencies in step height and depth are all too commonly lurking on staircases, not to mention worn or loose stair treads and missing or unstable handrails. Even small variations in step height can cause people to misjudge their footing, leading to sudden falls.

Weak or Rotted Structures

Structures that appear sturdy lull people into a sense of security. Then the structures suddenly fail.

Some common examples include:

• Decks with rotted support beams
• Loose balcony railings
• Aging staircases
• Collapsing ceilings
• Deteriorated porches or ramps

These structures may look perfectly safe from the outside. But years of neglect, moisture damage or improper construction can turn them into hidden traps.

Parking Lot Hazards

Parking lots that appear to be safe and open spaces may hide a variety of dangers.

Whether it is faded or missing striping that hide curbs, potholes filled with water or debris, or uneven pavement near drains, these hazards are especially dangerous for people focused on loading items into their cars or navigating traffic.

Electrical and Mechanical Hazards

These property hazards typically are quite difficult to spot and may not be visible at all.

They run the gamut from exposed or faulty wiring and unsecured utility panels to broken escalators and malfunctioning elevators. Along with an assortment of poorly maintained machinery, these dangers can cause electrocution, crushing injuries and sudden falls.

Compensation for Accident Injuries in Georgia

People who are hurt in accidents across Georgia have the right to seek compensation from those responsible. That is true whether you are involved in a traffic accident on a busy highway or a slip and fall in a grocery store aisle.

The money damages in accident cases are widely meant to restore an injured person to the financial position that he or she was in before the accident. That includes compensation for:

• Medical expenses
• Missed wages
• Disability
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and trauma

In some situations, punitive damages may also be awarded to punish a person or entity for particularly reckless conduct.

The family members of a person who is killed in an accident have the right to seek similar compensation for wrongful death. Nothing can be done to bring your loved one back and no amount of money will ever replace the person. Compensation can, however, offer some crucial financial security to people who are reeling from losing a family member.

Merritt & Merritt Law Firm Helps People Get Back on Their Feet

At Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, our Macon premises liability lawyers are dedicated to helping people and families who have been injured through no fault of their own. We fight diligently to protect and defend our clients rights.

Our goal is to help you move on with your life after an accident by getting the full compensation available under the law. Call our team at 478-845-6464 for a free, no-risk consultation.