When someone is injured on another person’s property in Connecticut, they may choose to file a premises liability claim. A premises liability claim is a type of personal injury claim that involves negligence by a property owner. Here are three common causes of premises liability claims:
#1: Dog bites
Dog bites can fall under the premises liability category of personal injury law when they occur on someone’s private property. If a property owner knows that they have an aggressive dog but fails to protect their guests from the dog, for example, an injured guest may sue them.
#2: Slip-and-falls
Slip-and-fall accidents may be the most common type of premises liability claim. Every year, there are around 800,000 hospitalizations that are caused by slip-and-fall accidents. Property owners and business owners can be liable for slip-and-fall accidents caused by negligent property maintenance, clutter, slippery floors and other obvious hazards.
#3: Hotel accidents
A hotel is a business that can be a perfect storm for premises liability issues. Guests are spending a lot of time on the premises, the environment can get crowded and alcohol may be served. A number of different kinds of serious accidents can occur at a hotel, including:
• Slip-and-falls
• Food poisoning
• Violence from intoxicated guests
• Parking lot crashes
• Broken chairs
When is the property owner liable?
The property owner is not liable for every accident that occurs on their premises. In order to be liable, the property owner must have caused the accident to happen through negligence. A negligent property owner may fail to make necessary repairs, fail to clear walkways or fail to provide adequate signage about known hazards.
