Boca Raton Premises Liability Lawyer
Have you been injured in a slip and fall accident while shopping at the store? Or maybe while visiting someone else’s home? In many cases, the property owner may be legally responsible for your medical bills and other losses arising from your accident. The experienced Boca Raton premises liability lawyers at Steinberg Law can review your case and advise you of your potential right to compensation.
How Premises Liability Works in Florida
“Premises liability” is the area of Florida law concerned with a property owner’s duty to keep their premises in reasonably safe condition for invited guests and members of the public lawfully on said property. The most common type of premises liability case in Palm Beach County involves slip-and-fall accidents, where a person is injured due to a hazardous condition on the property that the owner knew about–or should have known about–and failed to correct within a reasonable period of time. But premises liability may also cover claims such as negligent security, where the property owner failed to take sufficient steps to protect members of the public from a third party’s criminal act.
The scope of premises liability in Florida largely depends on the legal status of the injured person. In the context of a premises liability, a person is either an invitee, licensee, or trespasser:
- An invitee is a person invited to enter or remain on the owner’s property as a member of the public for that property’s public purpose. For example, if you visit a store during normal business hours, you are an invitee. Property owners owe the highest duty of care to invitees.
- A licensee is someone who visits a property for their own purposes as opposed to that of the landowner. Say you pay a social visit to a friend’s house. You would likely be considered a licensee in this situation. In Florida, a property owner only has a duty not to intentionally harm a licensee. The owner must also warn a licensee of any non-obvious dangers on the property.
- A trespasser is someone on the property without the owner’s permission. Keep in mind, a trespasser does not need to have any nefarious intent, such as planning to rob a store. But if you are present in a store after closing hours without the owner’s permission, you are a trespasser. As such, the owner has no duty to warn or protect you from hazards on the property. You would only have a premises liability as a trespasser if the owner intentionally injured you.
Contact Steinberg Law Today
Like other kinds of personal injury lawsuits, a premises liability claim allows accident victims to seek financial compensation for both their economic damages–medical bills, loss of wages, out-of-pocket expenses–as well as non-economic damages for their ongoing pain and suffering.
So if you have been harmed on someone else’s property due to the owner’s misconduct, it is best to speak with a qualified Boca Raton premises liability lawyer as soon as possible. Contact Steinberg Law today to schedule an initial consultation.
