A premises liability case occurs when someone is injured on another person’s property due to some kind of hazard. People are often found liable for the injuries that are suffered by an individual if they did not take reasonable care to fix or warn about a dangerous situation. Here are some tips on how to handle a premises liability case the right way.
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1. Get a premises liability attorney
The very first thing that you need to do is find a good premises liability lawyer. If the people that gave you the property to work on fail to ensure that your property is safe for you to work on, they are the ones at fault, and you should get an attorney immediately. This way, your case can proceed and not be delayed by things like evidence and other factors. If the insurance company tries to make you wait around for too long, they cannot if your attorney is involved in the proceedings. It will also help you have someone who can fight on your behalf so that you do not have to bother with all the court dates and other details that go into trying a personal injury claim. In many instances, it’s best just to let them handle everything.
2. Make sure there was a hazard/defect on the property
If you find yourself in a premises liability case, there needs to be some defect on the property that caused your injury. If there was nothing dangerous, and you slipped and fell, for example, because of something like ice or wetness, it would likely not be their fault because they did not do anything wrong. The same goes for any other injuries that may occur during your time working on the property; if it’s truly an accident because of water or some other hazard outside the owner’s control, then there is no legal recourse except to talk to insurance companies and try to get reimbursed for medical expenses.
3. Get all evidence together
It is vital that you get all of your evidence together. The best way to do this is by looking through the area where the accident occurred to try to find anything that was left behind there. If there were no warning signs around, for example, then you may want to go back and take pictures of any surfaces that look unusually slippery or wet. Also bring out anything that has blood on it, as well as your clothes if they were torn or ripped in the process of your injury. This way, people can clearly see what happened and why the property owner should be held responsible for failing to warn about a hazard on his/her property.
4. Go over your injuries with a doctor
Once you have all of your evidence in place, it’s time to go over everything that happened with a doctor. They should be able to give you an idea of what kind of injuries occurred and how bad they were, which will help your case if the other party tries to fight back by saying something ridiculous like “it was just a scratch.” You can also get prescriptions for pain medications or antibiotics if needed so that you are taken care of right away. This way, when it comes time for settlement discussions, there is no question about the seriousness of your injury.
5. Get settlement agreement together
When you’re all done with your doctor’s visit, you need to start looking for a premises liability settlement agreement. It needs to include all the details about what happened and who is at fault so that there are no surprises later on. This way, both you and the insurance company know exactly where everyone stands and won’t be confused when it comes time for negotiations. In many cases, this can be done over the phone or through email without much hassle if you have everything together from beginning to end.
Why is having a good premises liability attorney important?
They can make sure that you get what you deserve after your injury, and will also be able to fight on your behalf if the other party tries to delay proceedings or try something else sneaky. It will also help if they know everyone involved, including doctors that they regularly work with so that all information comes through them rather than having the insurance company approach them directly. This way, you are less likely to feel overwhelmed by all the legal proceedings and can rest assured that you have a professional on your side who knows what they are doing.
You need to be very careful about how you handle a premises liability case. If you don’t know what to do or say at the right times, then it is possible that your injury won’t get the attention that it deserves from insurance companies, and you won’t go home with everything that was promised. Listen to the advice we provided above, and you won’t have a problem!
