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Contact Us TodayWhen you walk into a store, apartment complex, office building, parking lot, restaurant, or another property, you have the right to expect that the property is reasonably safe. When property owners, managers, landlords, or businesses fail to fix dangerous conditions or warn people about them, serious injuries can happen.
Premises liability cases are not limited to slip and fall accidents. They can involve unsafe stairs, poor lighting, broken handrails, wet floors, cracked pavement, falling merchandise, negligent security, unsafe parking lots, dog attacks, and other hazards that should have been addressed before someone got hurt.
At the Law Office of Tyler Rody, we help injured people in Spartanburg and across South Carolina pursue compensation after being hurt on someone else’s property. Whether you slipped on a wet grocery store floor, tripped over broken pavement, fell down unsafe stairs, or were injured because a property owner failed to keep the premises safe, our team is ready to help you understand your options.
Premises liability is the area of law that deals with injuries caused by unsafe property conditions. These cases are based on the idea that property owners and those responsible for maintaining a property must take reasonable steps to keep visitors safe.
That does not mean every injury on someone else’s property automatically creates a claim. But when a dangerous condition existed, the responsible party knew or should have known about it, and someone was injured as a result, there may be grounds for a premises liability case. Common premises liability claims may involve:
Premises liability accidents can happen almost anywhere. Many occur in places people visit every day, including grocery stores, parking lots, shopping centers, apartment complexes, hotels, restaurants, workplaces, professional buildings, and private homes.
A hazard that may seem small to a property owner can cause life-changing harm to the person who gets injured. A spill that is not cleaned up, a broken step that is ignored, or a poorly lit parking lot can lead to serious injuries, expensive medical bills, missed work, and long-term pain.
After an injury on someone else’s property, your first priority should be your health. Report the incident as soon as possible, seek medical attention, and document what happened.
If you can, take photos or videos of the dangerous condition that caused your injury. Get names and contact information for witnesses. Report the incident to the property owner, manager, landlord, or business. Keep copies of medical records, incident reports, bills, and any communication with insurance companies.
Property owners and insurance companies may try to argue that the hazard was obvious, that they did not know about it, or that you were responsible for what happened. That is why it is important to speak with an attorney before giving recorded statements or accepting any settlement.
If you are injured at work because of an unsafe condition, you may have a workers’ compensation claim. Depending on the facts, there may also be a separate claim against a third party, such as a property owner, contractor, maintenance company, or another business responsible for the dangerous condition.
Report the injury immediately and get medical care. If your employer, the property owner, or an insurance company is not taking your injury seriously, speak with an attorney who can help protect your rights while you focus on healing.
Responsibility in a premises liability case depends on who owned, controlled, managed, or maintained the property where the injury happened. This may include a business owner, landlord, property management company, tenant, maintenance contractor, security company, or another party. To bring a premises liability claim, you generally need to show:
The responsible party owed you a duty of care: You must show that the person or company owned, controlled, operated, or maintained the property where you were injured.
There was a dangerous condition: You must show that an unsafe condition existed, such as a spill, broken flooring, poor lighting, unsafe stairs, missing handrails, or another hazard.
The responsible party knew or should have known about the hazard: In many cases, you must show that the property owner or responsible party knew about the danger or should have discovered it through reasonable inspection and maintenance.
The dangerous condition caused your injury: You must connect the unsafe condition to the injuries you suffered.
You suffered damages: You must show that the injury caused real harm, such as medical bills, lost income, pain, disability, or other losses.
Premises liability accidents can cause more than minor bruises. These incidents can lead to serious injuries that affect your ability to work, care for your family, and live your normal life. Common injuries include:
Even if you believe your injury is minor at first, it is important to get checked by a medical professional. Some injuries get worse over time, and medical records can be important if you decide to make a claim.
If you were injured because of unsafe property conditions, you may be entitled to compensation for the losses caused by the accident.
Depending on your case, damages may include:
Medical expenses: This can include emergency care, hospital bills, doctor visits, surgery, physical therapy, medication, and future medical treatment.
Lost wages: If your injury keeps you from working, you may be able to recover income you lost while you were out.
Loss of earning ability: If your injury affects your ability to do your job long-term, you may be entitled to compensation for reduced future income.
Pain and suffering: Serious injuries can cause physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, loss of sleep, and a reduced quality of life.
Permanent disability or impairment: If the injury causes lasting limitations, that harm should be included in your claim.
Out-of-pocket expenses: This may include travel for medical care, assistive devices, and other costs related to the injury.
In South Carolina, personal injury claims, including many premises liability claims, generally must be filed within three years. Waiting too long can hurt your case and may prevent you from recovering compensation.
It is also important to act quickly because evidence can disappear. Video footage may be erased, dangerous conditions may be repaired, witnesses may become difficult to locate, and insurance companies may begin building a defense right away.
If you were injured on someone else’s property, do not assume it was “just an accident.” Property owners and businesses have a responsibility to keep their premises reasonably safe. When they fail to do that, injured people deserve answers.
Contact the Law Office of Tyler Rody today using the form on our website or call for immediate assistance. We offer free consultations, and you do not pay unless we win.
