Premises Liability
Legal Support & Advocacy
Holding property owners accountable for dangerous conditions
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At Donlon Brand, we advocate for individuals who have been injured due to hazardous conditions on someone else's property. Our premises liability attorneys understand that property owners and businesses have a legal responsibility to maintain safe environments for visitors. When negligent maintenance, inadequate security, or dangerous conditions cause serious injuries, we fight aggressively to secure the compensation our clients deserve.
What is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is an area of law that holds property owners and occupiers responsible for accidents and injuries that occur on their property due to unsafe or defective conditions. These cases are founded on the legal principle that those who control property have a duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions and to warn visitors of known hazards that aren’t obvious.
The specific legal duties vary based on the visitor’s status (invitee, licensee, or trespasser) and state law, but generally, business owners, landlords, homeowners, and government entities must exercise reasonable care in maintaining their properties. This includes regular inspections, prompt repairs, adequate warnings, and appropriate security measures.
Premises liability encompasses a wide range of incidents, from commonplace slip-and-falls to complex negligent security cases. According to the National Floor Safety Institute, falls account for over 8 million emergency room visits annually, while the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that millions of violent crimes occur each year at locations where better security measures could have prevented harm.
When property owners fail to meet their legal obligations and injuries result, victims may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Common Examples of Premises Liability Cases
Our firm regularly represents clients injured in:
Grocery Store Falls
Customers slipping on spilled liquids or tripping over merchandise left in aisles, often resulting in serious back, hip, or head injuries.
Apartment Building Assaults
Tenants or visitors attacked due to broken security doors, inadequate lighting, or negligent security personnel in high-crime areas.
Hotel Accidents
Guests injured due to poorly maintained stairs, malfunctioning elevators, or unmarked wet floors after cleaning.
Swimming Pool Incidents
Children and adults suffering drowning or near-drowning injuries due to inadequate fencing, missing safety equipment, or negligent supervision.
Dog Attacks
Visitors bitten or attacked by dogs whose owners failed to properly restrain known aggressive animals.
Restaurant Injuries
Patrons falling on slippery floors, being injured by falling objects, or suffering burns from extremely hot food or beverages.
Premises liability cases require thorough investigation of property conditions, ownership structures, prior incidents, and applicable safety codes. Our attorneys have the expertise to navigate these complex cases and hold negligent property owners accountable.
Premises Liability Focus Areas
We provide specialized legal representation across all major types of premises liability incidents:
Slip-and-Fall Accidents
Our attorneys handle cases involving falls on wet or slippery surfaces that should have been addressed by property owners. We represent clients injured by spills in grocery stores, recently mopped floors without warning signs, uncleared ice and snow, and poorly maintained walkways with broken pavement or unexpected height differences.
Trip-and-Fall Accidents
We pursue compensation for victims who trip due to hazardous property conditions such as loose carpeting, unmarked steps, cords across walkways, cluttered store aisles, and inadequate lighting that obscures obstacles. Our team investigates building code violations that often contribute to these preventable accidents.
Inadequate Security Leading to Assaults
Our firm specializes in cases where property owners fail to provide reasonable security measures in areas with known crime risks. We represent victims of assaults, robberies, and sexual attacks that occur in apartment complexes, hotels, shopping centers, and parking garages where better security could have prevented the attack.
Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
We advocate for victims of dog bites and animal attacks, handling cases involving both private pet owners and commercial entities like pet stores or dog boarding facilities. Our attorneys understand the specific animal control laws and liability standards that apply to these often traumatic incidents.
Swimming Pool Accidents
Our team addresses the devastating injuries that occur at inadequately protected or supervised pools. We handle drowning cases, diving accidents, entrapment injuries from defective drains, and falls on slippery pool decks at both private residences and commercial facilities.
Elevator & Escalator Accidents
We represent individuals injured by malfunctioning elevators and escalators in commercial buildings, hotels, and apartment complexes. Our attorneys investigate maintenance records, inspection histories, and building code compliance to establish liability for these often serious incidents.
Falling Objects
Our firm pursues claims for injuries caused by merchandise falling from store shelves, ceiling collapses, and construction debris striking pedestrians. We hold businesses accountable for improper stacking, inadequate shelf stability, and failure to secure items that pose falling hazards.
Toxic Exposure
We handle cases involving harmful exposure to mold, carbon monoxide, lead, asbestos, and toxic chemicals on residential and commercial properties. Our attorneys work with environmental experts to document exposure levels and connect health conditions to property owner negligence.
Construction Site Injuries
Our team represents visitors, passersby, and workers from other companies injured at construction sites due to falling materials, inadequate barriers, unmarked hazards, and electrical dangers. We determine which entities—property owners, general contractors, or subcontractors—bear responsibility.
Amusement Park & Recreational Injuries
We pursue claims for injuries at amusement parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities involving defective equipment, inadequate supervision, or improper maintenance. Our attorneys navigate the complex liability waivers and assumption of risk defenses often raised in these cases.
Need Help?
If you’ve been injured on someone else’s property, don’t let property owners avoid responsibility for their negligence.
Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. We’ll evaluate your case, explain your options, and show you how we can help secure the compensation you deserve.
Why Donlon Brand?
Specialized
Expertise
Thorough
Research
Proven
Results
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& Care
- Specialized Expertise
- Thorough Research
- Proven Results
- Compassionate Representation
Nick Brand
Partner
Melissa Donlon
Partner
