When you walk into a business or visit a friend or family member, you may not even consider that your safety may be at risk. In most circumstances, people have the right to believe that the property they are entering will not cause them injury or other type of harm. According to Virginia law, the owner of a property, entity that manages it, or occupants who live there have a legal responsibility to properly maintain the location in order to prevent accidents. If there is a failure to do so and a person is injured, that victim may be able to recover financial compensation for those injuries by filing a premises liability lawsuit.
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If you have been injured on another party’s property, you may be able to receive compensation for the medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and more. A Virginia premises liability attorney can help you determine if the owner of the property was negligent and, if so, what legal options you may have.
What Is a Premises Liability Accident?
When dangerous conditions on a property lead to serious injury, it is considered a premises liability accident. Some of the more common types of premises liability include the following:
Slip and Fall Accidents: When a property owner fails to clean up wet surfaces, from snow, rain, a spill, etc., they create a risk of someone falling. The same applies to lose flooring, broken steps, failure to provide adequate lighting, torn carpet, and anything else that creates a hazard which could cause someone to fall. This failure could leave the owner liable for the victim’s injuries because of their negligence.
Fire and Smoke: Last year, Virginia passed a law which makes it mandatory for all Virginia landlords to install smoke alarms in rental properties, as well as hotels, motels, and rooming houses. Prior to the 2018 law passage, regulations for smoke alarms was left up to each individual municipality. Fires can happen anywhere at any time and it has been proven time and time again that smoke alarms save lives. If a property owner has failed to follow the Virginia law and install working smoke alarms and a victim is injured or killed in a fire on the property, the owner could be held liable for his or her failure.
Swimming Pools: Having a pool can be great fun for family and friends in the summer months, but having a pool also leaves the property owner wide open in liability if they fail to properly secure the pool. Premises liability accidents can result from failing to have a high enough fence or barrier around the pool, poorly maintained equipment or drains, or failure to have adequate security around the pool.
Contact a Virginia Injury Attorney
If you or a family member has been injured in a pool accident, contact a seasoned Virginia premises liability attorney to discuss what legal recourse you may have. Even if it is not entirely clear who is the at-fault party, a Va. injury attorney will be able to determine which party or parties are liable. At Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp, our injury attorneys have successfully represented numerous accident victims and have the legal expertise to handle these complex cases with positive results. Call (833) 997-1774 for a free case evaluation.