One of the most common types of personal injury cases is premises liability. These cases come up when a person is injured due to the negligence of a property owner. Negligence is usually seen where the property owner did not care for it appropriately and, as a result, someone else is injured. Under these circumstances, a premises liability lawyer in Lake City may be needed.
Determine If There Is a Case
Just because a person is injured doesn’t mean there is a case; there needs to be evidence to show that the person couldn’t prevent their own injury and that the property owner knew about the liability but did not take sufficient action to prevent injuries. This could occur, for example, when a person trips over a broken stair going into a building. If the property owner knew the stair was broken but had neglected to warn visitors or have it repaired, there might be a case.
Determine Who Is Liable
In some cases, it can be difficult to determine who is liable. Many businesses, for example, rent the buildings they are in. The business might be liable if it can be shown that they had a duty to protect the visitor. However, in some instances, it might be the owner of the property and not the business owner that would be liable. This is often seen in cases with damaged parking lots or sidewalks as these aren’t inside the building and the business owner might not be responsible for maintaining them.
Work Toward a Settlement
Once the lawyer has determined there is a case and established who is liable, they’ll need to determine what the settlement amount should be and work toward obtaining a settlement for their client. The settlement amount will based on the injury-related expenses of the person, such as medical bills or lost wages while they recovered. Typically, the lawyer will negotiate with the at-fault person’s insurance company for a settlement, but if one is not agreed upon or if there is no insurance company to negotiate with, the case can go to court.
If you have been injured due to the negligence of a property owner, you do have the right to speak with a premises liability lawyer in Lake City to see if you have a case. If you would like more information, visit Northfloridaautoaccidentlawyer.com today.
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