Are You Responsible for Injuries That Occur on Your Property?

For most of us, there isn’t a second thought about letting somebody onto our property. We don’t think about whether or not there are hazards to that person’s health and whether or not they might sue us as a result of an injury. However, it can happen. If you’re wondering whether or not you’re responsible for another person’s injuries on your property, here’s everything you need to know.

Duty of Care

When you own a house, there are certain legal duties you’re obligated to fulfill. Legal duties apply in a huge range of situations, so you can never really get away from them, but it’s important to understand what your legal duties are in any given situation. If you own a piece of property, it’s your responsibility to make sure that property is safe and free of anything hazardous. If you leave a broken piece of a board or some other obstacle lying around and the mailman trips on it when he’s coming to deliver your mail, you may be found negligent for not taking the time to clear your property of this hazard.

Duty of care is the basis of personal injury legal cases in a sense. To be found negligent and therefore responsible for injuries to another person or damage to others’ property, there have to be certain legal duties that you fail to fulfill.

Negligence

At the end of the day, you’re only responsible for injuries that occur on your property if you’re found to be negligent. As we mentioned previously, this is determined by figuring out what your legal duties were and whether or not your failure to fulfill them resulted in an injury. A personal injury lawyer like the ones at Shook & Stone will take the time to carefully look over all the details of the incident to determine whether or not the property owner was negligent.

Ultimately, negligence is decided in a court of law and not by an attorney. An attorney may feel like they completely understand your case and can prove you weren’t negligent, but it’s up to the judge to decide whether or not their argument was convincing enough.

What to Do

Nobody wants to be the victim of a lawsuit, and thankfully there are some easy steps to avoid them when it comes to being a homeowner. As we mentioned earlier, the biggest thing you need to remember is that you’re responsible for making sure your property isn’t a danger to visitors. Even if you have to spend time and money making sure your property is safe, you’ll still save more than you will if you’re sued. To learn more about the types of hazards you may be found negligent for, you can always speak with a lawyer.

Personal injury suits are no fun, especially when you’re the victim of one. As a homeowner, it’s a real possibility. If someone has recently been injured on your property, make sure you get in touch with a good personal injury attorney to make sure you’re protected from lawsuits.