When a Missourian is injured on someone else’s property, they might not immediately consider that the property owner was somehow responsible for the incident. At the time, they will have greater concerns such as dealing with the injury, how much time they will miss at work and how the personal injury will impact their life in the short and long term. However, once the medical bills begin coming in and the extent of the injury is understood in the context of everyday life, they must think about what steps are available to receive compensation for the accident.
Premises liability is a key part of the law. Owners are required to ensure that their property is safe. This is true for residential and commercial property. For residential property, if there is a cracked sidewalk, snow that has not been cleared or construction taking place, an innocent person who is walking by and is injured by stepping on the crack and falling or is hit by an object that was improperly secured will have the right to seek compensation from that owner. With commercial property such as a store, the owner must make sure that there are no dangerous areas or circumstances such as a wet floor or a broken escalator.
Injuries that stem from accidents in these situations can range from minor to fatal. Even a minor injury like a bruise or a scrape can become something more serious and it can happen without warning. People can suffer head injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones and other types of damage. If the accident is of significant severity, it can lead to the person’s death. In many cases, the person does not even realize how serious the injuries are until well after the fact. It is imperative to have a medical checkup and to know where and how the accident happened to hold the property owner accountable.
Medical bills, lost wages, the need for long-term care and families being forced to pay for funeral costs of a loved one who died in an unnecessary accident must all consider whether the accident was the responsibility of a property owner and take the required steps to file a case. A law firm that helps people with their personal injury cases after a premises liability incident should be contacted as soon as possible for advice on how to proceed.