Owning land or any building—such as a house, store, or office complex—comes with many responsibilities. The owner must purchase insurance, pay taxes, and comply with any applicable zoning rules. The owner also has responsibilities toward anyone who may come onto their property, namely, to make sure the property is kept reasonably safe and well maintained.
When you are hurt on someone else’s property because they failed to meet this duty, that owner may be responsible—through what the law calls “premises liability”—for compensating you for your injuries. Asserting and protecting your legal right to compensation can be complicated in these cases, but a Nashville premises liability lawyer may be able to help. Reach out to our team of dedicated personal injury attorneys at Ponce Law today to schedule a free case review.
Of course, a property owner is not responsible for preventing all injuries from occurring on their premises. Rather, they are responsible only for taking reasonable steps to correct dangers on the property they know about or should have known about after a reasonable inspection. This means the duty that a property owner owes their visitors depends on the context, including why the visitor is on the property or if they are allowed to be there. Situations that may lead to premises liability could include:
A diligent premises liability lawyer in Nashville could help someone injured on another’s property evaluate their situation to determine if the property owner may have had a duty to take action to prevent their injury.
When a property owner is liable for an accident on their premises, the injured person will be able to recover compensation, known as “damages,” for their losses that resulted from the accident. The injured person is responsible for proving their damages and connecting them back to the accident. Damages usually fall into one of several categories:
The first category is financial, or economic, losses that the injured person experienced as a result of the accident. This might include bills the injured party had to pay because of their injuries, such as medical expenses, fees for emergency transportation, and similar costs. It can also include wages the injured person lost if they had to miss time from work to recover from their injuries. Economic losses can also include damages the injured individual has not yet sustained but will incur in the future, such as ongoing medical treatments or the costs of making their home accessible due to any permanent physical limitations the accident imposed.
The other primary category is non-economic damages. While the injured person will still be paid a dollar amount for these damages, they stem from less tangible losses; therefore, assigning a dollar amount to them can be more difficult. These losses may include the pain and suffering, mental anguish, or emotional distress the injured individual experienced as a result of the accident.
A Nashville attorney with experience handling premises liability cases could help an injured person evaluate what damages may be available in their specific case.
People should be able to shop at stores, explore parks, and visit friends without worrying whether the premises they are in are safe or well-maintained. When you are hurt because a property owner failed to provide you with this basic right through their negligent actions, you do not deserve to bear the consequences yourself. A local attorney may be able to help you protect your right to compensation for your injuries.
Schedule a free initial consultation with a Nashville premises liability lawyer at Ponce Law today.