When you visit someone at their rental home or stop at a business to patronize it, you don’t expect to get hurt. Unfortunately, when property owners and companies don’t adequately maintain their facilities, you could end up injured during a routine social call or errand. Sometimes, the business or property owner will have liability for the injuries you suffer when you get hurt on their premises. What kinds of situations might lead to a viable premises liability claim?

1. Inadequate facility maintenance

Did a landlord ignore the torn carpet on the stairs or the burned-out light bulb on the top landing? Did they delay making repairs to the roof or a faulty outdoor deck? Proper facility maintenance is the first and most important step toward reducing the risk of people getting hurt. When basic maintenance and repairs would have prevented your injuries, you may have reason to bring an insurance claim or civil lawsuit against the business or landlord.

2. Failure to correct or warn of known dangers

When property owners or companies ignore known dangerous conditions, they can be responsible if someone is injured. Everyone has a responsibility to pay attention to where he or she is walking. However, no matter how careful you are, a slippery floor or loose step can cause you to fall and often suffer serious injuries. Property owners and companies have an obligation to ensure the safety of their patrons from known dangerous conditions. If you are injured in a fall at a business and can show the business knew or should have known of the dangerous condition, then you may be entitled to compensation for your damages.

3. An aggressive animal attack

When property owners allow animals on their premises, there can be liability that results from the animal’s presence. Sometimes, they could knock someone over and cause injury in their enthusiastic attempt to greet a stranger. Other times, they could bite someone, causing them disfiguring injuries. Animal attacks often fall under premises liability claims when the property owner or manager is aware of the animal’s presence. This is especially true if the animal has displayed aggressive behavior in the past.

Reviewing the situation that led to your injury on someone else’s property can help determine if you have a viable premises liability claim or not.