Under state premises liability law, if someone sustains injuries on privately owned property, the law does not automatically hold the property owner legally liable for those injuries. However, landowners owe certain duties of care to different types of property visitors, and owners who use their land for commercial purposes instead of as a private residence or an open public space have the broadest duty of all in this regard.
Even if you have strong grounds for a claim, successfully filing suit over an injury you suffered inside a retail store or other commercial establishment can be difficult without a skilled premises liability attorney’s help. Fortunately, the Bloomfield commercial property premises liability lawyers at Fredson Statmore Bitterman, LLC offer the support you need to pursue the financial compensation you deserve.
What Duty of Care Do Commercial Property Owners Owe to Visitors?
Everyone who allows visitors to lawfully set foot on their property must warn those visitors of all hazardous property conditions that they, the landowner, have direct knowledge of and either eliminate those hazards or cordon them off reasonably quickly after discovering them. Commercial property owners must also inspect their property regularly, either in person or through a subordinate, so they become aware of new hazards quickly after they appear.
Because of this, a person may sometimes sue a commercial property owner over a hazard that they only should have known about rather than had direct knowledge of. In other words, a hazard that had been present for so long that the landowner reasonably should have discovered and addressed it before the accident happened. Establishing that a landowner had constructive knowledge of a hazard can be a deceptively subjective process, so support from a knowledgeable Bloomfield commercial attorney can be especially important to succeeding with a commercial property premises liability claim.
Recovering Compensations For Short-Term and Long-Term Losses
If a court determines that a commercial property owner is legally at fault for failing to warn a customer about a hazard on their land, the court may hold them liable for every economic and non-economic form of harm that the customer suffers from their encounter with that hazard. While every case is unique, examples of damages that a seasoned lawyer may be able to help incorporate into a commercial property premises liability claim in Bloomfield include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost enjoyment of life
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Psychological trauma and anguish
- Lost work earnings and/or benefits
- Expenses related to personal property damage
It is important to note that a person can recover for expected future losses during this sort of claim in addition to short-term losses they incurred before the legal process begins. For example, the expected costs of long-term rehabilitative and therapeutic care, in addition to the costs of emergency medical treatment they already received.
Get Help Today From a Bloomfield Commercial Property Premises Liability Attorney
Premises liability lawsuits can be tricky to get good results even under the most favorable circumstances. That said, plaintiffs often face unique challenges when pursuing claims against commercial landowners, not just because of the unique rules for these claims established by state law but also because of the additional resources that corporate landowners often devote to fighting civil liability for injuries.
In a situation like this, representation from a Bloomfield commercial property premises liability lawyer can make all the difference in whether your lawsuit or settlement demand has a positive outcome for you. Call today to schedule a free consultation and learn how Fredson Statmore Bitterman, LLC can provide you with both big-firm resources and small-firm personalized attention.