Premises Liability In St. Petersburg Is More Than Just Slips & Falls
Michael Babboni
Premises Liability
When people in St. Petersburg hear about lawsuits involving premises liability, one of the most common cases is known as the “slip and fall.” This is where a hazard was left in the environment, such as a spill, uneven flooring, or stairs, that should have been addressed but wasn’t. As a result of that neglect, the accident risk the hazard posed came to fruition, and someone who shouldn’t have slipped and fallen did, allowing the accident victim to sue the property owners for knowingly leaving a hazard intact where people could fall victim to it.However, premises liability takes many forms, and there are other types that people should be aware of that give them the legal right to take action, whether at a private residence or commercial property.
Swimming Pool Accidents
While types of accidents around a pool can involve a slip and fall, another type, drowning, also fall under premises liability. This is especially relevant where children are involved. The law understands that young children should never be allowed to interact with a swimming pool without adult supervision. This means that if adult property owners leave children unattended at a backyard swimming pool, and a drowning occurs, they are legally and financially accountable for that drowning.
Firearm Accident
Another type of premises liability that often occurs in residential situations is the careless storage of firearms. While it is not illegal to own firearms, it is a legal requirement that weapons are properly stored. Leaving a firearm on a coffee table where children can find and discharge it may be an accident, but it is an accident that could have been easily avoided with proper storage.
As a result, any firearm accident in a home due to a lack of diligence in weapon storage can result in legal and financial fault for premises liability.
Poor Security
A residential or commercial property sometimes provides security measures to residents or visitors. This may take the form of security guards, surveillance cameras, or even lights designed to discourage criminals from loitering in the area in plain view.
However, if these security measures fail to work as promised, such as a security guard failing to prevent a mugging or assault due to being preoccupied with a smartphone and not patrolling or checking security cameras, this is a premises liability case. Security has one job, and that is to stop crime. Failure to perform a primary function due to carelessness opens the property owners up to being at fault.
Food Poisoning At Restaurants
This is not a slip and falls by any stretch of the imagination, but for commercial outlets that serve customers food, such as restaurants, they have a basic legal obligation to serve food that is safe to consume. If a food & beverage business realizes that some ingredients may risk making customers sick, but choose to use those ingredients anyway to save money, then any resulting illness from this negligent behavior can be answered for in court.
If you or someone close to you has been hurt by any premises liability, not just slip and falls, talks to a St. Petersburg premises liability attorney about your situation.