Home and business owners must maintain a safe environment for their visitors. This is more than just a moral obligation, it is a legal responsibility. Property owners who fail to meet this responsibility and cause injury to their visitors in the process could be held liable for damages under premises liability laws.

The Columbia premises liability lawyers of Woron and Dhillon, LLC can represent you if you have been injured because of a property owner’s negligence. We are available to discuss the details of your case and will guide you through filing your claim.

To schedule a free consultation with our Columbia premises liability lawyer, complete our contact form or call (803) 626-1345. 

What is Premises Liability?

Premises liability is a section of personal injury law in which property owners are held accountable for injuries that occur to visitors of their home or business. In premises liability cases, the victim’s injuries are caused by the property owner’s negligence. These cases identify hazardous conditions on a property that caused a victim’s injuries, and determine who is liable for creating those hazardous conditions.

Not only does premises liability apply to businesses but to private landowners as well and may involve a wide array of injuries that may even include criminal acts committed by third parties. In South Carolina, visitors to a business or personal property fall into one of three categories:

• Invitees (customers to a restaurant, business invitees, etc.)
• Licensees (dinner guests, social invitees, etc.)
• Trespassers (entered property without permission)

It’s important to understand your rights if you were injured on someone’s property. South Carolina, like the rest of the US, requires in certain situations a duty of care, meaning people have a duty to act responsibly and to perform measures to create a safe environment for others.

Determining Liability

To determine liability for an injury at a home or business, the conditions on the property and the property owner’s role in causing the hazardous conditions are evaluated. Property owners are often identified as liable in cases of premises liability accidents, but it is possible for third parties to be liable as well.

Third parties who could be liable in these cases may include maintenance workers, construction equipment manufacturers, and designers of the property. Although these parties could also be liable, the property owner will likely share responsibility.

To determine liability for a premises liability incident, the following questions should be considered:

• What kinds of hazardous conditions were present on the property?
• What caused the hazardous conditions?
• Did the property owner create the hazardous conditions?
• Did the property owner fail to properly maintain their home or business, leading to hazardous conditions?
• Was the property owner aware of hazardous conditions that they failed to correct?
• Were other parties responsible for maintaining the property?