What is premises liability?

A:

Premises liability is the body of law that deals with the responsibility the owner of a property has to maintain safe conditions on the premises. If a landowner or the property's occupant fails to warn about, or correct, a dangerous condition on the property, he or she may be liable for any injuries that occur as a result.

You may file a premises liability claim if you were injured on a property as a result of any number of different conditions the property owner, manager, or occupant may be responsible for, including:

• Cracked or slippery walking surfaces
• Torn carpeting
• Falling ceilings
• Poor lighting
• Potholes on or poorly maintained parking lots
• Toxic or flammable fumes in an enclosed area which cause an explosion
• Buildings or other improvements that do not comply with local building codes
• Overcrowding
• Unrestrained or improperly trained or socialized animals
• Inadequately guarded swimming pool
• Broken or defective guardrails or handrails
• Broken doors or windows
• Broken equipment such as a malfunctioning access gate
• No access control
• Weak locks
• Insufficient or poorly trained guards
• Poor management policies
• Wet floors
• Icy sidewalks