What Happens If Someone Gets Injured On Your Property?
Michael Babboni
Personal Injury
Premises Liability
When you own a home or a business, there are certain liabilities that come with your piece of property. If someone gets injured on your property, there are a couple of different things to consider. The biggest thing to remember is that the court will look for signs that you attempted to control the problem. Even if your attempts were unsuccessful, prevention will go a long way with showing the court that you were being vigilant and trying to prevent an injury.Traveling Shortcut
If your property is a shortcut to somewhere, you may want to take extra precautions to keep trespassers off of your property. If you have a bike path in your backyard, or if cutting through your property gets people closer to their destination, you might find regular uninvited guests in your yard. Take precautions to keep them off of your property. If it is a known problem and you do not do anything to prevent it, you may be held liable for an injury that happens on your land. Put up a fence, post signs, or plant some trees to make it harder for people to use your yard as a shortcut.
Wild Animal
Wild animals can be unpredictable, and the court knows this. If there is something reasonable you could have done to prevent the animal from being on your property in the first place, there is a chance that charges could be filed. If the court sees that you tried to fix the problem by installing a fence or other repellant system, they will most likely take that into account. If you simply ignore the problem, the court could label this as negligence and hold you at fault.
Do Not Use Force
If you see someone on your property who doesn’t belong there, do not use force to remove them. If the situation gets intense, call the authorities. Do not take out a weapon and threaten them. This can lead to charges filed against you just for protecting your own property. It is better to walk away and have the proper authorities deal with it so you end up with the case against them instead of the other way around.
Attend To Your Property
It is always best to deal with safety hazards on your property as quickly as possible. If you know that you have a problem, fix it as soon as you can. That way there is no danger of someone wandering onto your property and getting hurt. Leaving holes that are unfilled, broken fences, and sharp objects just lying around invites people to come on your land and get injured. Make sure that if you have a swimming pool you have taken the proper precautions to keep strangers from falling in. The more you can do, the less likely you will have an injury to worry about on your property.
If someone has been injured on your property, call the St. Pete Lawyer. Our offices have the knowledge and experience to help you handle your case. Call as soon as possible so we can get the details of your case and be ready to help you handle whatever comes your way.