A premises accident can happen anywhere, and under the right circumstances, the property owner can be held responsible for injuries or damages. After being injured at someone’s home or business, a victim may not know where to turn or even know they are eligible for compensation. Like a car accident or medical malpractice, when negligence is involved, a person injured on the property of another may be able to get restitution for their pain and suffering.

What Is Negligence?

When a person does not act with reasonable care towards a situation and a person gets injured, they can be held responsible for being negligent. For any personal injury cases, such as a premises accident, negligence must be proved. To prove negligence, there must be a duty to establish for the property owner to maintain under law, refusing to provide maintain that standard, and an injury with damage caused by inaction. For example, if there is a wet spot in a grocery store and no effort was made to clean up the spill or warn patrons, the store owner may be held liable if someone slips and breaks a bone.

Not all unsafe properties, dog bites, or slippery surfaces are treated the same. The invitation status of a person on a property is another factor of whether someone can sue for personal injury. If a person is a licensee, such as a customer, or an invited party, then the property owner is expected to uphold reasonable safety accommodations. While this does that guarantee the absolute safety of invited parties, the property owner can be held responsible if they knew about an issue and refused to act.

When a person gets injured on the property of another person or company, the owners may be held liable for the accident. This type of personal injury case is often the result of poor maintenance or unsafe property. When going after a property owner after an injury on their premises, it is important to be able to prove that the owner was negligent. In regard to property, if a person does not reasonably maintain their home or land, or give proper warning, they can be found negligent and liable. The landowner also must have known about the hazard, and actively refused to take action.

In Illinois, there are laws that address people who visit a property and rights they are given. A person who is invited by the property owner, such as friends or family, are entitled to a safe environment when visiting the property. Landowners must keep their property reasonably safe for these guests. A person who has implied permission of entering a property, such as a salesman or delivery driver, has less protection because even if the owner is aware of a hazard, the licensee will likely not face it. If a person is trespassing, they have the least amount of protection if they are injured on a person’s premise. The only exception may be a child if, for example, if they wander onto a property that has a pool that is unsecured and gets injured or drowns.

There are a number of circumstances where a person could find them self victim to a poorly maintained property or incident involving negligence. You may have a personal injury case if you have experienced the following:

When you visit the home of a family member or friend or enter a business, safety may not cross your mind. Under reasonable circumstances, people have the right to believe that a home, apartment, store, or restaurant will not cause them harm. In fact, it is the responsibility of people who own, manage, or occupy a property to maintain it properly to prevent accidents. When a person is injured on another person’s property, they may be able to recover compensation through a premises liability lawsuit. 

If you have been injured on someone else’s property, you may be eligible for compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If the property owner was negligent and failed to maintain the property to a reasonable standard, then they may be held liable. 

What Is Considered a Premises Accident? 

Unsafe conditions on a property can lead to serious injuries. Here are some examples of the most common kinds of premises accidents:

August is the peak of the summer temperatures, which means that more and more people are heading to pools, lakes, rivers, and beaches to cool off. Though swimming is a fun and refreshing activity during these sultry months, it can also be a dangerous one. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four and the second leading cause of death for children ages five through 14. Drownings are tragic accidents, but they are avoidable with proper precautions and safety measures. Here are tips to keep your children safe around water this summer:

1. Make Learning a Priority

One of the best ways to combat drowning is by teaching your kids to know what to do when they are in water. Babies can be taught to float on their backs if they fall into the water, and children can be taught how to swim. Most of the time, you can find swimming classes at your local recreation center or school. As a parent, you should also know how to perform CPR if it becomes necessary. These classes are often given at local Red Cross organizations, hospitals, or schools.

Losing your footing and falling down can be embarrassing, but most people tend to think of this type of accident as a minor incident that leads to little more than an inconvenience. However, slip and fall accidents can be extremely dangerous, leading to serious injuries and even death.

Slip and Fall Accident Statistics

In 2014, slip and fall accidents accounted for approximately 32,000 deaths in the United States. At people’s homes or in residential communities, these types of accidents led to more than 31,000 deaths, and around 600 people were killed and 47,000 people were injured while slipping and falling at work.