All property owners in the state of Maryland are legally required to maintain their grounds to make sure there are not any hazards present. This is because if the conditions of their property are not safe, accidents can happen that lead to serious injuries. Often, this causes not only physical damage, but emotional and financial damages as well. When this happens, injured victims often wish to seek justice for their injuries. In doing so, it is important to understand the concept of premises liability law.
What is Premises Liability?
When property owners fail to take care of their grounds, hazards and dangerous conditions may be present. This can cause those who come onto the property to sustain severe injuries as a result. In these situations, the injured party can hold the owner liable for negligence. This is because they breached their duty of care to the individual.
Property owners have a duty of care to others who come onto their property. This is fulfilled when they maintain the grounds to ensure they are safe. The duty of care is required for all invitees or licensees. An invitee is a person who was invited onto the property for business or commercial reasons. A licensee is a person who was on the property for non-business or non-commercial reasons, such as social events. Property owners may even owe a duty of care to trespassers on their property. This may be the case if they are aware of the individual trespassing and failed to warn them of any hazards that are present.
Case Examples
Injuries can occur on another party’s property due to negligence in many ways. The following are situations covered by premises liability law:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dangerous conditions
- Defective security
- Inadequate maintenance
- Poor weather conditions
- Inadequate lighting
Proving Negligence
When a victim of negligence wants to hold a property owner liable, it is important to know that they must prove negligence. In order to be successful, they must show that the property owner knew, or should have reasonably known, about the hazard on their property, and failed to fix it. This can be done with evidence including medical documentation of the injuries, photo or video of the hazard, witness testimonies, and more.
Contact our Firm
The Law Offices of Debra A. Saltz has decades of experience representing clients in Howard County and Anne Arundel County, Maryland who have been charged with a crime. If you are facing criminal charges, let our firm explore all possible defenses and fight to protect your future. We also represent individuals who have been injured by the negligence of another party. Contact the Law Offices of Debra A. Saltz today to discuss your case.
