An accident that results from a property owner’s negligence has the potential to cause serious harm, not to mention the financial losses that often accompany painful injuries.
If you suffered an injury due to a hazard on someone else’s property, an experienced Oregon premises liability lawyer from Rizk Law can help you take action to seek justice and compensation through an injury claim.
Contact us today for your free consultation to learn more about your options.
What Is Premises Liability in Oregon?
Premises liability is a legal principle stating that property owners and other parties responsible for a property’s condition have a duty to keep it safe for visitors.
This duty may include promptly addressing any dangerous conditions they know or should know about and warning visitors about any unresolved hazards.
The law recognizes that premises liability accidents come in many forms and can cause significant physical, financial, and emotional harm. For this reason, property owners who fail in their duty may be liable for any injuries that result from an accident their failure caused.
Common Types of Premises Liability Cases in Portland
Premises liability claims can arise from many unsafe conditions on public, commercial, or private property.
Some of the most common types of premises liability cases our attorneys see in Portland involve:
- Slip-and-fall accidents resulting from wet floors, icy walkways, loose rugs, poor lighting, or uneven pavement
- Trip-and-fall accidents due to broken stairs, damaged flooring, cluttered walkways, or exposed cords
- Injuries from falling merchandise, unsafe shelving, or poorly maintained displays
- Accidents in apartment buildings, hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, offices, and parking lots
- Swimming pool accidents resulting from a lack of proper barriers or insufficient supervision
- Physical assaults due to negligent security
Injuries Caused by Premises Liability Accidents
Premises liability accidents can cause a wide range of serious injuries that may disrupt a person’s health, work, and daily life. Depending on the circumstances, an injury victim may suffer:
- Broken bones
- Severe cuts and lacerations
- Soft tissue injuries, including bruises, sprains, strains, and torn ligaments
- Head trauma, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries
- Burns, electrocution injuries, or toxic exposure
- Hip, knee, shoulder, and ankle injuries
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Premises Liability Accident in Portland?
In many premises liability cases, the negligent property owner is the party responsible for the accident.
However, liability may also extend to other people or businesses that controlled, managed, repaired, leased, or maintained the property.
Depending on where and how the accident happened, a claim may involve a:
- Property owner or manager
- Homeowner
- Business owner
- Landlord
- Tenant
- Property management company
- Maintenance company
- Contractor or repair crew
- Government agency responsible for public property
How to Prove a Premises Liability Case in Portland
Property owners have a duty to take reasonable precautions to prevent hazardous conditions from causing accidents on their property.
Proving a premises liability claim requires you to show that a property owner or other party neglected this duty, their neglect led to an accident, and you suffered measurable harm as a result.
As with all personal injury cases, you need strong evidence to succeed in a premises liability claim.
Photos and videos of the property and the hazardous condition can go a long way toward supporting your claim, but you also need to show the extent of the harm the accident caused you. Medical records, employment or income records, and personal testimony can all help show the nature and severity of your injuries.
Types of Compensation You Can Recover in Portland
The amount of premises liability compensation that may be available to you will depend on the scope of your financial and personal losses, but your injury claim may cover:
- Medical expenses, including anticipated future costs
- Lost income
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of quality of life
How a Portland Premises Liability Lawyer Can Help You
The period after an injury accident can be very stressful.
In addition to the difficulties that accompany living with physical pain, you may be dealing with an exhausting schedule of medical treatment and recovery, as well as financial challenges that can quickly accumulate.
A skilled Portland premises liability attorney from Rizk Law can take the burden of pursuing a claim off your shoulders.
When you turn to our team for help, we’ll get to work right away on investigating the accident and gathering evidence to show the property owner’s failure and its impact on you.
Our team handles every part of your case – from speaking with the insurance company to preparing and filing your claim to negotiating for the compensation you deserve. If necessary, we’ll also be prepared to take your case to court if doing so presents the strongest option for achieving a favorable outcome.
