Premises liability is the area of law that governs the responsibility of landowners for deaths or injuries resulting from dangerous conditions that exist on their property. Proving the property owner’s liability will depend upon whether you were on the property as an invitee, licensee or trespasser at the time of the incident.

1) An invitee is a person who is on the property with the owner’s knowledge and for their mutual benefit. A customer shopping at a department store is an invitee. The owner owes the invitee a duty of ordinary care to keep the premises in a reasonably safe condition by either making a dangerous condition safe or warning of its presence.

2) A licensee is a person who enters the property with the owner’s permission but only for his or her own benefit. A sales person entering the property to make a call on a tenant would typically be a licensee. The duty of care owed to a licensee is only that the owner use reasonable care to protect against hidden dangers unknown by the licensee.

3) Finally, a trespasser is anyone who enters another’s property without the legal right to do so. A property owner owes a trespasser the duty not to harm them intentionally or with gross negligence.

Examples of Negligent Premises Defects

• Injuries caused by faulty escalators or elevators
• A person slipping on a wet floor while in a store
• Falling merchandise
• Building code violations, such as an absence of handrails on stairs
• Exposed wires
• Deteriorating structures

If you have sustained a serious injury while on another’s property and you believe your injury was a result of the property owner’s negligence you should consult with a skilled premises liability attorney immediately. 

Contact Our San Antonio Law Firm

If you or a loved one has sustained a serious injury as the result of another person’s negligence, call our San Antonio law firm today at (210) 223-2627 or toll free at (888) 508-1110 or tell us about your case online by clicking on the “contact us” page.
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