Savannah Premises Liability Attorneys

Have You Been Injured on Someone Else’s Property?

If you have been seriously injured on someone else’s property due to the owner’s or manager’s negligence, you have the right to make a claim under Georgia premises liability law. You can be compensated for lost wages, hospital costs, long-term medical treatment, permanent disability, and pain and suffering. At Tate Law Group, LLC, our premises liability lawyers in Savannah help victims of injuries pursue the compensation they are owed.

The legal professionals at Tate Law Group can investigate the particular circumstances of your case to determine the following:

• If there was negligence on the part of the property owner
• If the negligence was a factor in the injury
• The total amount of available insurance coverage (from all those who may be liable)

We offer free initial consultations over the phone or in-person, so call (912) 234-3030 to schedule an appointment!

What is Premises Liability Law?

Premises liability laws hold business owners and property owners responsible for the well being of anyone who enters their establishments or homes. By law, these persons are expected to keep their properties safe at all times, but especially when they have invited guests or patrons inside. Failure to protect visitors can result in a premises liability lawsuit, in which the defendant may have to pay for the plaintiff’s medical bills, lost wages, therapies, and in some cases, pain and suffering as well.

Some common circumstances that precipitate injuries include but are not limited to those listed below:

The Legal Status of the Visitor

In states that place the focus only on the status of the visitor to the property, there are primarily four different labels that apply to visitors: invitee, licensee, social guest or trespasser.

• An invitee is considered to be a person who is invited onto a property of another, such as a customer entering a retail store. This invitation is usually considered to be implicit that the owner has taken the necessary steps to ensure that the property is reasonably safe.
• A licensee is a person who enters a property for his own purpose, or as a social guest, being present at the consent of the owner of the property.
• A social guest is self-explanatory, being a welcome visitor on the property
• The trespasser is an individual who enters the property without any right to do so, and in this case, there is no implied promise of safety.

In most instances, the implicit promise of safety for people entering a property applies to every type of visitor, except the trespasser.

Determining Liability in Savannah Premises Liability Claims

Personal injuries that occur on a specific property can leave the injured party eligible to seek financial compensation if certain material case facts are present. How an accident produced an injury is as important as where it happened.

Landlord/Tenant Responsibility

Many premises liability claims occur on property that is owned by one individual or a company and leased by another party. This does not mean that both parties are automatically liable in any given situation; sometimes the tenant is responsible and sometimes the landlord may be responsible, and in some cases, both the landlord and the tenant could possibly be liable.

Private Property Liability

Unlike injuries that occur at places that are open to the public, accidents that occur on private property often require the injured party to have legal access to the location where the injury happened. Trespassers are commonly denied the ability to file an injury claim, but property owners also cannot intentionally set traps or hazards that result in injury even when the party is trespassing. There are also specific rules for providing protections against children being hurt when they trespass as well.

Public Property Liability

Injuries that occur on property maintained by a government agency or other organization that allows public access could potentially be subject to different rules of limitations regarding time and insurance coverage, especially when a government agency is responsible. These cases can be complicated as well, and filing time frames typically expire quicker than in a private property liability claim.

Comparative Negligence in Premises Liability Claims

Georgia comparative fault law holds that anyone who is at least 50% responsible for the accident injury cannot collect any financial compensation. Even a valid injury claim may be reduced or even dismissed if it can be proven the injured party was 50% or greater at fault for their own injury.

All injured claimants in a premises liability claim are assessed for personal contribution to the accident that caused the injury. The legal term used in premises liability claims is "reasonable assumption of personal risk", and it is a common defense in certain cases. For example, a property that has posted no trespassing signs may be able to establish that the plaintiff was responsible for their own injury.

Compensation in a Premises Liability Case

A person who sustains injuries at another individual’s home or at a business of some sort is potentially entitled compensation for a number of different types of losses. This includes compensation for medical bills and expenses. In addition, a person may be entitled to compensation for lost wages and pain and suffering because of the negligence of the third party who controls or owns the premises where an accident occurred.

In addition to compensation for existing or current losses, an injured person may also be entitled to recompense for future losses as well. An injured person may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering that reasonably can be expected to occur in the future.

If You Were the Victim of a Crime, You May Have a Premises Liability Claim

Certain apartment complexes, hotels, stores, and other establishments are sometimes targeted by drug-dealers, gang members, rapists, and other criminals. This is usually because the criminals see little chance of being deterred during the crime or being caught after the crime, and also because innocent victims are often readily available.

These crimes of opportunity often occur in apartments or hotels with faulty door or window locks, unmonitored or poorly patrolled parking lots, and improperly secured office buildings. Any property owner who can reasonably expect that a visitor, a tenant, or a customer could be harmed during a criminal attack is required by law to take proper steps to prevent such attacks. Failure to take proper steps might result in the premises owner being liable for the injuries to the victim.

You may be entitled to compensation for physical, emotional, and financial losses if you suffered a criminal assault on someone else’s property.

Retaining Legal Counsel

A person in Savannah injured because of a hazard or danger at the premises of a third party should seek legal counsel in order to best protect his or her rights and interests. An attorney from Tate Law Group can schedule an initial consultation to discuss the facts and circumstances of a particular case. There usually is no charge for an initial consultation in a premises liability case.

A Tate Law Group Savannah premises liability attorney charges a contingency fee in a premises liability matter. What this means is that the client pays a fee that is a percentage of any settlement or judgment. The client owes no fee unless and until a favorable outcome is obtained in a particular case.

If you have a premises liability case, schedule a free consultation with the trusted injury attorneys at Tate Law Group, LLC. You can contact us online or call us at (912) 234-3030.