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Premises Liability
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    Learn why it is important to hire an experienced personal injury attorney.
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    Find out if you have the grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit!
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Columbia Premises Liability Attorney

What "duty of care" were you owed by the property owner?

In the state of Missouri, victims of a slip and fall accident would only be entitled to compensation if they can prove that the property owner owed them a specific "duty of care." In order to do so, the victim would need to determine whether they were an invitee, licensee or trespasser at the time of the incident—as only the first two classifications of people would be entitled to demand a reasonably safe environment. Under the law, an invitee is anyone who has entered onto another person's land at the implicit or explicit invitation of the property owner for the purpose of patronizing the business establishment. This could include customers at a restaurant or retail store, prospective members of a church or even postal workers delivering mail. The property owner's duty to an invitee is absolute, meaning that they are responsible for actively seek out dangerous conditions and warning incoming visitors of their presence on the property.

While licensees are not owed an absolute duty of care by the property owner, they are entitled to a reasonably safe environment. This group of people would include anyone who is privileged to enter onto another person's property at the invitation or permission of the property owner, like guests of a party or family friends who have an open invitation to visit the property. Finally, trespassers would be classified as anyone who has entered onto another person's property without permission or consent from the owner. Since the owner would not owe a trespasser a specific duty of care—either to remedy hazardous conditions or warn the visitor of them—it is unlikely that they would be held liable for an injury that was sustained on the premises. For this reason, it is important for you to determine what duty you were owed by the property owner if you have been negligently injured on another person's property in Columbia, MO.

The Most Common Types of Property-Related Accidents

If you were injured while visiting a business establishment or a residential property, you may be wondering whether or not you would have grounds to pursue a personal injury claim. Although it would depend on the circumstances of your accident, there is a good chance that you are entitled to compensation if you can prove that the property owner was negligent in upholding their duty of care. This means that they either knew or should have known about the dangerous conditions and subsequently failed to remedy them. For example, this might be the case if they have:

  • Failed to clear away potential tripping hazards or debris
  • Failed to warn visitors of dangerous conditions
  • Failed to clean up any liquid that was left on the floor
  • Failed to conduct routine maintenance on the property
  • Failed to fix or replace broken lights in dim areas
  • Failed to adhere to the proper building codes

Injured in Columbia, MO? Turn to Sumner Law Group, LLC for help.

After you have suffered a wrongful injury, dealing with the aftermath can seem like a daunting task. Not only will you need to worry about costly medical expenses, but you may even need to forfeit a portion of your income if your injuries have kept you from work. Fortunately, you do not have to go through it alone. When you retain the help of a Columbia personal injury attorney from the Sumner Law Group, LLC, you can rest easier knowing that we will be doing all of the heavy lifting.

Our firm will work diligently to secure the level of compensation that you deserve from all responsible parties, so do not hesitate to get started today by calling our office at (573) 287-3178 or submitting a free case evaluation form online.

Why Choose The Sumner Law Group LLC?

  • Creative Strategies, Sound Legal Knowledge & Compassionate Client Relations
  • Practicing Only Personal Injury Law
  • Millions of Dollars Recovered in Compensation on Behalf of Injured Victims
  • Former Defense Counsel for Insurance Companies