When You Are Hurt In A Slip And Fall Accident
As a general rule, the owner of real estate must act reasonably to insure the safety of persons who enter the premises. If a dangerous condition exists on the premises, the owner may be liable to someone injured as a responsible owner's breach of his duty to maintain the property in a safe condition, free from defects.
Where Did The Fall Happen?
Sometimes the owner's liability for an injury depends on the classification of the premises as either "residential" or "commercial." For example, under many, but not all, circumstances a residential property owner may be found not to be liable to someone injured on the abutting sidewalk because the owner did not owe a duty to repair a sidewalk defect. The owner or occupant of commercial property, however, has a duty to maintain adjacent sidewalks in reasonably good condition and may be liable to a pedestrian who is injured as a result of the failure to fulfill that duty.
The Duty Of Care Of Business Owners
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In New Jersey, business owners have a duty of care to maintain safe premises for their business invitees. This duty requires the business owner to take reasonable precautions to prevent the occurrence of harm to patrons invited onto the business premises.
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A business owner must guard against dangerous conditions on the property that the owner either knows about or should have discovered. A property owner owes a higher degree of care to a business patron than to a social guest because the former is in furtherance of commercial interests. Under certain circumstances, a business patron may sign a document that waives his or her right to sue a business owner or occupier for injuries the patron sustained on the business premises by signing a pre-injury waiver of liability agreement. But is that waiver enforceable? Call Katkocin Law Office to find out.
Get The Help You Need
If you were injured as a result of a slip (or trip) and fall, call me, attorney Ronald M. Katkocin at Katkocin Law Office in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, at (609) 953-2000 for a free initial telephone evaluation of your potential claim. If your injury happened in Burlington County, Camden County, or any other South Jersey County, call to see how I can help.