Cleveland Premises Liability Lawyer

Experienced Premises Liability Attorney in Cleveland, OH

When you are out running errands, visiting shops, walking down the sidewalk, or staying at a resort, hotel, or even just a friend’s house, you expect that property owners will take the necessary steps to ensure their premises is safe and free of hazards. In fact, more than just a general expectation, property owners are actually required by law to provide a hazard-free environment for potential patrons or visitors. In the case that there are possible dangers, clear warnings must be posted around the premises to notify guests of these particular dangers.

Top Ohio Premises Liability Attorney

When property owners are negligent, people can sustain injuries in any number of ways. If this happens to you, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries. Our Cleveland premises liability attorneys at Joseph Law Group can help you do just that. We apply our vast legal experience and knowledge to hold negligent property owners accountable for your injuries and any damages that ensue.

What is Premises Liability?

When an individual gets hurt while on someone else’s property, the person injured may bring what is called a premises liability lawsuit. Of course, there is much more to it than that, but the general ‘premise’ is that a property owner of any kind, whether it be a business or a homeowner, owes a certain responsibility to whoever may step foot on their land. It is similar to how in an Ohio medical malpractice case, medical providers owe a certain “duty of care” to their patients.

Thus, a premises liability case may arise if someone ends up sustaining a personal injury on this person’s property due to a dangerous condition of some sort and the property owner did not take the proper precautions to protect against such an injury.

Property Owners’ Responsibilities in Ohio

As we briefly mentioned above, a property owner of any kind has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent another individual from sustaining a personal injury on their premises. That means, in order to avoid liability, both private property and public property owners should take the proper precautions to keep their property in a reasonably safe condition. This may include installing locked gates around a swimming pool, providing adequate lighting in a parking lot, or posting caution signs warning of a recent spill.

However, while a property owner should always warn visitors of hidden hazards, open and obvious dangers do not always need to be addressed. An open and obvious danger might include something like a sidewalk curb. This is something that a reasonable person should notice without additional warning, and thus, is a common defense in many claims.

Additionally, a property owner in Ohio is not responsible for any harm caused to a trespasser that they were unaware was on their land. If they are aware of the trespassertrespasser, they must warn them of potential dangers and promptly ask them to leave. If the tresspasser is still injured after a warning and a request to leave, the property owner is no longer responsible for any damages that may result.