Honesty Integrity Dedication Pride

What is my liability for slip and fall accidents?

On Behalf of | Sep 9, 2020 | Premises Liability |

If someone slips and falls on your property, you may have a personal injury lawsuit filed against you. It depends on the situation and the location of the fall as to how liable you are for the injuries the person suffers.

Entrepreneur explains the law looks at some situations differently, and there may be other factors to consider when it comes to liability.

In a business

If the incident occurs at your business, you probably are liable if it happened due to maintenance issues or something you should have been aware was a fall hazard. However, in this situation, you also likely have general liability insurance that will cover any expenses and handle the situation so that you can avoid going to court.

Liability may become less clear if the incident happens outside of your business, such as on the sidewalk. It will depend on the laws in your area as to who is liable for maintaining these areas, which could be you or the city.

In your home

In your home, you may not always be liable. If you own your home and the incident occurs anywhere on your property, then you probably are liable. Your homeowner’s insurance will likely cover it.

If you rent, and the incident happens inside your rental unit, then you will probably be liable. If you ave renter’s insurance, it should cover it. Otherwise, you may end up in court.

However, if you rent and the incident happens in a common area, your landlord may be liable, not you. Landlords hold the responsibility for common areas and outdoor areas of rentals, so that means the landlord must pay for the accident.

RSS Feed

FindLaw Network