Defining Premises Liability in Atlanta
Defining premises liability in Atlanta is not something attorneys have to do. The laws are clear on what constitutes a claim for negligence involving irresponsible property owners. To review your claim and determine if you have a claim for negligence, reach out to a dedicated attorney today.
What Constitutes Premises Liability?
In Georgia, there are many different types of premises liability cases or instances that would fall under the umbrella of premises liability. Generally speaking, premises liability refers to an incident or a case in which attorneys examine the liability of an owner of land or an occupier of land or property and his or her liability for injuries that occurred where someone was injured while on that property.
It involves various situations such as slips and falls or injuries that happened at restaurants and hotels, at grocery stores or other retail stores. This also would include things such as incidents that arise when people are visiting friends or they are going to their own apartment where they get injuries associated with their use of the apartment complex or the amenities, the units themselves or the walkways or the parking lot of their apartment.
Determining Fault
There are other elements that are involved in the question of whether a landowner or occupier of land will be ultimately responsible and held liable for injuries that occurred somewhere on his land. One of the first inquiries is to what degree was the victim allowed to be on the property. Was he or she someone who was invited there or was he or she there for a business reason, for instance, like somebody shopping at the grocery store? Fault for these cases in particular is based on the status of the person injured, often times, that determines the duty the landowner has to keep his premises safe. After determining fault, attorneys tend to work with an in-house medical professional who could assess the degree of harm the victim suffered.
Who Are Considered Licensees?
A licensee, with respect to a premise liability case, is someone who had permission to enter the land of another, but it is distinguished from what is called an invitee because to be an invitee, there must be a mutuality of interest, as between a shopper and business. Often times, when there isn’t a benefit to the landowner and the person is injured when entering the land, that person ends up being a licensee.
The duty owed to a licensee is different than the one that is owed to an invitee. The duty owed to an invitee is greater than that owed to a licensee. Another key factor is that sometimes a licensee has permission to enter a part of the property but maybe not all of it. A person may have a different status with respect to different places of the property. For instance, someone shopping at a grocery store may be an invitee while they are out in the main shopping area, but if that person decides to go into one of the backrooms or if he or she is in the office space or maybe the warehouse space at the back of a store, that person may lose that status as an invitee since it is a location where the grocery store didn’t expect that person to go.
Define an Atlanta Premises Liability Case in Atlanta with a Lawyer’s Help
When defining premises liability in Atlanta, attorneys often looks at the status of the injured person at the time his or her injury occurred. When these victims are harmed because of the negligence of a property owner, they need to turn to an attorney who could assess their injuries with the help of an in-house medical professional.
Depending on the nature of your claim, you could receive compensation while holding negligent parties accountable. Reach out to a team of attorneys who are ready to speak directly to you and take your calls after hours for your free case review.
