Anne Arundel Private Property Premises Liability Lawyer

As defined by Anne Arundel law, private property is anything that is not owned by the state or county, including a business. Private property owners have a certain duty of care that they must keep for visitors. This means that if a visitor suffers an injury on the owner’s premises, the injured visitor could be entitled to compensation. If you were injured on another person or entity’s private property, reach out to a seasoned premises liability attorney today. A skilled Anne Arundel private property premises liability lawyer could help you get the compensation that you deserve.

Duty of Care to Visitors

A visitor to a property in the context of premises liability law includes invitees, social guests, and licensees. An invitee could be a customer at a place of business. For example, an individual shopping at a grocery store would be considered an invitee.

A social guest would include a person who was invited to someone’s property for no business purpose. An example of a licensee would be someone who stops by a gas station just to ask for directions. Property owners owe the highest duty of care to visitors and then to licensees. A trespasser is an individual who is on a property without consent.

Contributory Negligence

If the visitor to the property was injured but contributed to their own injury, then they can be considered responsible for their injury and not the property owner. For instance, if a person walks into a store and sees a wet floor sign but proceeds to walk across the wet floor and then suffers a slip and fall injury, then they would be deemed responsible for the accident.

If an individual who is injured is at fault for their own injury in any way, then there is a complete bar of recovery. Maryland is a contributory negligent state, which means that any amount of negligence on the part of the injured person bars them from recovering anything from their injuries. Consult with an Anne Arundel private property premises liability lawyer to learn more about contributory negligence law.

Condition of the Property’s Impact on the Case

If the condition of the property is very poor, the owner could be responsible for any injury that occurs as a result of that lack of maintenance. There are some expectations of private property owners to ensure the safety of visitors and residents. If a property owner has knowledge of any kind of hazard and/or defect in their home that could cause someone to be injured, they have an obligation to tell other people. For instance, if an owner has a loose tile in their bathroom that could cause someone to slip and fall, the owner has an obligation to warn people about the danger.

Does the Type of Property Affect the Case?

The type of property impacts the development of a premises liability case because an individual is going to have either homeowners’ insurance involved or a commercial insurance policy. Homeowners’ insurance usually does not have as much money available as from the commercial insurance policy of an apartment complex. Apartment complex liability policies are larger, which impacts the development of the case in terms of the potential recovery of the injured person.

Requirements for Lessors and Landlords in Anne Arundel

Landlords have an obligation to exercise reasonable care to keep the portions of the facilities that are set aside as common areas for tenants in a safe condition. The common areas of an apartment building include locations in which people enter and exit the property. The landlord has an obligation to ensure that those areas are safe and free of defects and/or hazards that could injure anyone on the property. The tenant within the apartment has the same obligation as a private homeowner to ensure that their guests are protected from any defect or hazardous condition.

Call an Anne Arundel Private Property Premises Liability Attorney

If you have been injured on another person’s private property, seek the services of a well-established personal injury attorney today. A skilled Anne Arundel private property premises liability lawyer could help you recover damages and hold the negligent party responsible. Call today and schedule a consultation.

Anne Arundel Premises Liability Lawyer