Premises Liabilty
Injured on Someone Else’s Property? You May Have a Legal Claim.
Property owners and businesses have a responsibility to maintain reasonably safe premises for visitors, customers, tenants, and other people who are lawfully on their property. When a dangerous condition causes an injury, the property owner, business, landlord, or another responsible party may be legally responsible for the resulting damages.
If you were injured because of a hazardous condition on someone else’s property, an experienced Philadelphia premises liability attorney can investigate what happened, identify the responsible parties, preserve important evidence, and pursue compensation on your behalf.
We represent people injured throughout Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in premises liability cases involving falls, dangerous property conditions, inadequate maintenance, negligent security, and other preventable hazards.
What Is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is a type of personal injury claim involving injuries caused by dangerous or defective conditions on property.
These cases can arise in virtually any setting, including:
Grocery stores and supermarkets
Retail stores and shopping centers
Restaurants and bars
Apartment buildings and residential properties
Office buildings
Hotels and casinos
Parking lots and garages
Sidewalks and walkways
Construction sites
Schools and universities
Hospitals and medical facilities
Public and commercial properties
Pennsylvania premises liability cases can involve complicated questions concerning ownership, control of the property, notice of the dangerous condition, maintenance practices, inspections, warnings, and whether reasonable steps were taken to protect visitors.
Common Premises Liability Cases
Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall cases can occur when a person encounters an unsafe condition such as spilled liquids, snow or ice, uneven flooring, debris, or another hazard.
Depending on the circumstances, a property owner or business may be responsible when it knew—or should have known—about the dangerous condition and failed to take reasonable action.
Trip and Fall Accidents
Uneven sidewalks, defective stairs, potholes, broken pavement, loose flooring, inadequate lighting, and other property defects can cause serious trip-and-fall injuries.
Even a seemingly minor defect can result in significant injuries, particularly when a person suffers a fracture, head injury, back injury, or other trauma in the fall.
Falling Objects and Merchandise
Property owners and businesses may be responsible when improperly secured merchandise, displays, fixtures, equipment, or other objects fall and strike a customer or visitor.
These cases may require investigation into how an object was installed, secured, inspected, maintained, or displayed.
Inadequate Property Maintenance
Property owners and businesses have an obligation to address dangerous conditions on their premises. Failure to properly inspect, repair, clean, maintain, or secure property can create significant risks for visitors.
Examples include:
Broken stairs or handrails
Defective flooring
Potholes
Damaged sidewalks
Poorly maintained parking lots
Leaking ceilings or pipes
Inadequate lighting
Unsafe entrances and exits
Defective doors or gates
Who May Be Responsible for a Premises Injury?
Determining who is legally responsible for an injury is not always straightforward.
Depending on the circumstances, potentially responsible parties may include:
Property owners
Business owners
Property management companies
Landlords
Tenants
Retailers
Contractors
Maintenance companies
Security companies
Government entities
Other individuals or businesses responsible for maintaining or controlling the property
Ownership alone does not necessarily answer the question of liability. An investigation may be necessary to determine who controlled the area where the accident occurred and who was responsible for identifying and correcting the dangerous condition.
Evidence Can Be Critical in Premises Liability Cases
Dangerous conditions can disappear quickly.
A spilled liquid may be cleaned. A defective display may be removed. A damaged sidewalk may be repaired. Surveillance footage may eventually be overwritten.
That is why an early investigation can be important.
Depending on the circumstances, evidence in a premises liability case may include:
Photographs and videos of the accident scene
Surveillance footage
Incident reports
Inspection records
Cleaning and maintenance records
Employee statements
Witness information
Prior complaints
Prior incident reports
Property maintenance policies
Training materials
Store or property procedures
Photographs of the dangerous condition
Medical records and bills
Expert testimony
Our firm works to identify and preserve relevant evidence while building a factual record of what happened.
What If the Property Owner Says They Didn't Know About the Hazard?
Lack of actual knowledge does not necessarily end a premises liability claim.
A critical issue in many cases is whether the property owner or business should have known about the dangerous condition.
That may depend on factors such as:
How long the condition existed
Whether employees regularly inspected the area
Whether there were prior complaints
Whether similar incidents occurred previously
Whether reasonable inspection procedures were followed
Whether employees created the dangerous condition
Whether the condition was recurring or foreseeable
The specific facts of each case matter, which is why a thorough investigation is important.
Injuries Caused by Dangerous Property Conditions
Premises liability accidents can cause injuries ranging from relatively minor injuries to permanent and life-changing conditions.
Our firm handles claims involving:
Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
Neck and back injuries
Herniated and bulging discs
Fractures
Torn ligaments and tendons
Knee injuries
Shoulder injuries
Hip injuries
Wrist and hand injuries
Soft-tissue injuries
Nerve injuries
Spinal injuries
Permanent disabilities
Wrongful death
The value of a premises liability claim depends on the facts and circumstances of the individual case, including the nature and extent of the injuries, medical treatment, prognosis, lost income, pain and suffering, and the evidence establishing liability.
How We Investigate Premises Liability Claims
A successful premises liability case requires more than simply establishing that an accident occurred.
We investigate why it happened and who was responsible.
Our investigation may include:
1. Identifying the responsible parties
We determine who owned, operated, occupied, maintained, or controlled the property.
2. Documenting the dangerous condition
Photographs, videos, measurements, witness information, and other evidence can help establish the condition that caused the accident.
3. Investigating notice
We examine whether the responsible party knew or should have known about the hazard.
4. Preserving evidence
Where appropriate, we send preservation requests and take steps to identify evidence before it is lost or destroyed.
5. Investigating prior incidents
Prior accidents, complaints, or similar conditions may provide important information concerning notice and property maintenance.
6. Evaluating the injuries
We work with medical records and appropriate medical professionals to understand the nature, severity, and long-term consequences of the injuries.
7. Pursuing full compensation
Once the facts and damages are established, we pursue compensation through negotiation or litigation when appropriate.
What Compensation May Be Available?
Depending on the circumstances of the case, an injured person may be able to pursue compensation for damages such as:
Medical expenses
Future medical treatment
Lost wages
Loss of future earning capacity
Physical pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Permanent impairment
Disfigurement
Loss of enjoyment of life
Other damages permitted under Pennsylvania law
In wrongful death cases, additional damages may be available to eligible surviving family members.
Why Choose a Philadelphia Premises Liability Attorney?
Premises liability cases often require careful investigation of facts that are controlled by the property owner or business.
Insurance companies and defense attorneys may begin investigating an accident immediately. An injured person should have an advocate working to preserve evidence, establish responsibility, and accurately document the consequences of the injury.
Attorney Jordan Freeman, represents injured people—not insurance companies or property owners. We approach each case by examining the evidence, identifying the responsible parties, and building a case based on the specific facts.
Our goal is to make the legal process as straightforward as possible while aggressively protecting our clients' rights.
Injured on Someone Else's Property? Contact a Philadelphia Premises Liability Lawyer.
If you were injured at a store, restaurant, apartment building, parking lot, casino, hotel, office building, or other property, the circumstances surrounding your accident deserve careful investigation.
Do not assume that an accident was simply your fault.
A dangerous condition may have been created, ignored, or inadequately addressed by someone responsible for the property.
Contact Attorney Jordan Freeman for a consultation about your premises liability claim.
Philadelphia Premises Liability Attorney
Serving Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Bucks County, Delaware County, Chester County, and communities throughout Pennsylvania.
