Lake Forest Premises Liability Lawyer

If you were injured while on another party’s property due to their negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Being injured on someone else’s property can result in serious injuries and lost wages from missed time at work. This can increase feelings of stress and pressure during a time when you should be focused on healing.

You do not have to go through this trying time alone. If you were injured as a result of a property owner’s negligent behavior, contact a Lake Forest premises liability lawyer today. A seasoned injury attorney could assess your case and help you fight to get the compensation you may be owed.

Causes of Premises Liability

While accidents occur in a variety of circumstances, some common instances that cause premises liability can include:

  • Slipping and falling from debris falling from overhead
  • Getting hit by trees and tree limbs breaking and falling
  • Falling into unmarked wells and pits
  • Touching exposed live wires or electric currents
  • Falling on a decomposing staircase

Negligence Law for Injury on a Person’s Property

In cases of injury occurring on another party’s property due to negligence, an individual seeking compensation must show that the property owner was negligent in their ownership by not maintaining the property. Specifically, the injured party must generally show that they were owed a duty of care, the duty was breached, and the breach of duty directly lead to compensable damages or injuries.

Since property owners have some rights in deciding who is allowed on their property, whether the owner owed the injured party a duty of care depends on how the injured party is categorized. A person on the property of another may be:

  • An unknown trespasser
  • A known trespasser
  • A licensee
  • An invitee

The individuals within these categories are owed different duties of care, which can be the difference between whether a premises owner is liable for another party’s injuries or not. A Lake Forest premises liability attorney could help clarify which classification applies to an individual plaintiff and what impact that grouping may have on their case.

Comparative Negligence

Negligence law in Lake Forest is based on what is known as pure comparative negligence. This means that if a party seeking to recover monetary compensation for their injuries is found to be partially at fault for the occurrence that led to their injuries, their final damage award would be decreased by the percentage they were liable.

While in some states, a party who is found to be over 50 percent liable would be barred from recovery, this is not the case in Lake Forest. In the state of California, regardless of what percentage a party was found to be at fault for an accident, they can still recover damages up to the amount of another party’s fault.

For example, if a party is found to be 55 percent at fault for creating the situation that leads to their injuries, they may still recover 45 percent of the amount of their award from the other party. So, if the injured party was awarded $100,000 in damages, they could collect $45,000.

Contact a Lake Forest Premises Liability Attorney Today

If you were injured while on another party’s property, understanding the laws governing your situation can be complicated. Much of civil negligence law as it pertains to premise liability boils down to specific definitions and details that you may not be aware of. Having the representation of a Lake Forest premises liability lawyer could help you determine what facts and pieces of evidence might make your case stronger.

After suffering a personal injury, you should be able to focus on healing, not on filing a lawsuit and negotiating with insurance companies. Experienced Lake Forest property liability attorneys could help you through this process while you recover. Call today to discuss your case.