Philadelphia Premises Liability Lawyer
Property owners have a duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition for the benefit of customers, guests, business visitors, and members of the general public. A premises liability lawyer from our firm helps injury victims who are hurt when the property owner’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident or injury. Learn more about common types of premises liability claims below, and contact Benedum Law if you have been hurt on another’s dangerous premises in Chestnut Hill or throughout greater Philadelphia.
Slip and Fall
A slip and fall can cause serious injuries, ranging from muscle tears and sprains to facial lacerations, broken bones, and neck and back injuries. A senior who breaks a hip or other bone in a fall may never fully recover, and several times a year a slip and fall or trip and fall is fatal to the accident victim.
Property owners have a duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition for the safety of their customers, guests and others on their premises, and they can be held liable for the harm that results in a slip and fall due to the property owner’s negligence. Our Philadelphia lawyers know how to collect evidence in these difficult cases and build a strong and persuasive claim that proves the property owner’s fault and liability to the accident victim.
Dog Bites
Premises liability also extends to injuries such as dog bites. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has several very lengthy and complex laws regarding dog bites and animal attacks and the liability of dog owners to dog bite victims. According to Pennsylvania dangerous dogs law, dog owners are strictly liable for the medical expenses of a dog bite victim. Owners are also strictly liable for pain and suffering and other damages if the person suffered a severe injury from the attack, defined as “broken bones or disfiguring lacerations requiring multiple sutures or cosmetic surgery.”
Strict liability is a legal term which means the dog bite victim does not have to prove the owner was negligent in order to collect the damages described above. Pennsylvania law additionally allows a dog bite victim to recover the full amount of applicable legal damages if the victim can prove that the owner was negligent in keeping the dog, such as by allowing the dog to escape from the yard or roam around in public off-leash.
Finally, money damages can be pursued against a dog owner who knew or should have known of the dog’s dangerous propensity to attack a human without provocation. This may be proved if there is a record of the dog having previously bit or attacked a person or otherwise acted aggressively. Our premises liability attorneys at our firm can help pursue for such damages.
Negligent Security
The duty of property owners to maintain a safe premises includes a duty to provide a reasonable amount of security. Reasonable security measures could include gated entrances, security cameras, alarms, controlled access to entrances, and the presence of security guards. Simply keeping parking garages, stairwells and hallways properly lighted is another key component of adequate security and a reasonable security measure any property owner can take.
When property owners employ security personnel, such as loss prevention officers in a retail store or bouncers in a nightclub, the owners and managers should take reasonable steps to ensure their employees are properly screened, trained and supervised to perform their job professionally and not use excessive force or unlawfully detain an individual.
What amount of security is reasonable depends on the type of property, whether it is located in a high-crime area and whether there has been a recent history of criminal activity on the premises. A victim of assault, robbery, sexual assault or other crime may have a civil claim against the property owner for a negligent security premises liability claim.
Get the Representation You Deserve after a Philadelphia Premises Liability Accident
Benedum Law is committed to helping injury victims recover compensation from negligent property owners whose behavior or negligence is responsible for the injury or accident. If you have been hurt by a slip and fall, dog bite or negligent security in Philadelphia, contact Benedum Law at 215-LAWSUIT for a free consultation with an experienced and successful Chestnut Hill premises liability attorney.
