When you visited the property, you thought you would be safe. Now, Burger Law can help.
Premises Liability Attorney in Centralia, IL
Premises Liability Attorney Centralia, IL. When you visited a public park, the grocery store, or the new neighborhood coffee shop, you expected you were going to have a great time and you never doubted that you would be safe. But then, slippery floor, an untreated icy sidewalk, or a crumbling sidewalk caused you to fall and injure yourself. If you were a visitor to a property where an unattended hazard left you injured, you may . Call a premises liability lawyer in Centralia, IL right away to discuss your case and explore your options.
The premises liability lawyers in Centralia, IL of Burger Law have what it takes to represent you and lead you to success in your Missouri or Illinois premises liability claim. We have spent many years representing premises liability victims like you and have tracked down millions of dollars for our clients. Discuss your case with a premises liability lawyer in Centralia, IL today and learn the ways in which we can serve you and how we can get you the damages you need and deserve. Our attorneys are available to speak to you at 314-542-2222 or online now.
Parties in a Premises Liabitility Claim
In your Centralia, IL premises liability case, it is important to understand the different parties that can be involved and each party's role in premises liability. The category you fall under at the time of your injury on someone else’s property will determine the duty of care you are entitled to by the property owner. To understand where you stand and for the best chance at a favorable outcome in your premises liability claim, you should speak to a premises liability attorney in Centralia, IL as soon as possible.
When a person is injured on a property due to the presence of a safety hazard on that property, the property owner or party responsible for maintaining the property, also called the possessor, may be found at fault to cover that person's injuries and damages. However, the amount of liability the property owner or caretaker has in a premises liability injury case differs depending on the nature of the visit of the status of the individual who was hurt. As someone injured on someone else's premises, you will fall under one of the following groups:
- Invitee
This individual is someone who has been given permission to be on the property, whether through a general or explicit invitation. When an invitee goes to the property, it is for the benefit of one or both parties. It could be a business or monetary gain or a benefit in the public sense. Invitees are also likely to be fairly unfamiliar with the premises itself. Invitees are public park-goers, library guests, retail shoppers, diners at a restaurant, or a professional such as someone meeting a potential client for a business meeting.
Of the types of visitors, invitees require the highest duty of care from property possessors. The possessor is liable for any injuries an invitee suffers due to any hazardous or unsafe condition on the property that the possessor was aware of or should have reasonably been aware of and failed to address or fix the hazard. Your premises liability attorney in Centralia, IL must show that, regardless of whether the property owner or person in charge of the property was aware of the dangerous condition, that he or she failed to remove the hazard and as a result, you were injured.
- Licensee
A licensee is a person who has been invited, either explicitly or through an implied invitation, to visit the property. Typically social guests, invitees are visitors with no commercial or economic interest in being on the property, just as the possessor of the property has no economic benefit from having licensee guests on the property. They are given a limited license to be on the property.
For licensees, the person in charge of the property is expected to make sure to keep the property reasonably safe or provide adequate warning to the licensee of any dangers that they know about. In other words, the property possessor cannot be held liable for any injuries or other damages the licenses suffers if they had no knowledge about the safety concern or if they did know about the hazard, they are only liable if they did not provide adequate warning about the hazard. Call this a moderate level of care on the part of the possessor to the licensee. If you have been injured on a property as a licensee, your Centralia, IL premises liability lawyer has to show that on top of the existence of a dangerous condition that the party responsible for the property failed to remedy, the property manager or owner actuallly knew about this possible danger at the time of your injury.
- Trespassers
When a person enters a property without permission, they are considered a trespasser. It should come as no surprise that the trespasser has very little legal protection from any possible dangers on a property. Generally, all a property owner has to do to protect a trespasser is give a general warning about the most obvious dangers on the property, and they are only required to do this if they could reasonable anticipate that someone may trespass on the property. In most cases, a trespasser does not have a legal case to sue a property owner for injuries that happened as a result of their trespassing.
Exceptions to this level of liability exist, especially when the victim is a child. If a minor enters someone else’s property and gets hurt or killed in an accident, the property owner may be liable to cover the damages suffered by the child and/or the child's family. Tragedies like these are heartbreaking and tumultuous legal battles and absolutely call for the work of an experienced Centralia, IL premises liability lawyer.
Ask an experienced Centralia, IL premises liability attorney to get guidance about what legal options you face due to your classification as a invitee, licensee, or trespasser when you were injured on another person’s property. Your Burger Law premises liability attorney will use their expertise to help you understand your legal situation and options and to show how the defendant, whether he or she is the owner of the property or someone else put in charge of it, is at fault for the injuries and other damages you have suffered.
Premises Liability Attorney Centralia, IL: Making Your Case
A premises liability claim can be complicated. The law provides fairly straightforward definitions of each type of premises liability victim and the possessor’s liability to each, but real premises liability cases are easily convoluted. It is one of the many reasons it is so critical that you, as a premises liability injury victim, hire a skilled and experienced premises liability attorney in Centralia, IL a complete financial recovery for you.
The facts that your premises liability attorney in Centralia, IL will need to prove depend on how the court sees you legally in relationship to you entering the property. Your premises liability lawyer will first have to prove whether you entered the property as an invitee, a licensee, or a trespasser. To prove which type of visitor you were, they must prove the manner and nature of your invitation to be on the premises, the reason for your visit, and any possible gain your visit to the property presented to you or the possessor.
Your Centralia, IL premises liability attorney will also have to exhibit the possessor's legal obligation relative to your status as a visitor, their negligent behavior that led you to harm, and the extent of your injuries and other damages. By collecting, analyzing, and presenting all relevant evidence in your premises liability case, your premises liability lawyer in Centralia, IL will need to present a case that shows that:
- The defendant was responsible for the property (whether they owned, leased, occupied, maintained, or otherwise controlled the property), making him or her the possessor,
- The defendant knew or should have reasonably known of a hazard or dangerous condition on their property
- The defendant failed to use ordinary care to remove the dangerous condition or adequately warn of the danger
- You, as the plaintiff, were hurt or otherwise harmed on the property, and
- The defendant’s negligence was the cause of your injuries
If you have been injured while on a private, public, or commercial property and believe you have a premises liability case, talk to a qualified premises liability attorney near Centralia, IL at your first opportunity. The premises liability lawyers of Burger Law have helped hundreds of Centralia, IL premises liability victims who have been injured and we have recovered millions of dollars combined for innocent victims who were seriously hurt because of an overlooked safety hazard.
Case Types Our Premises Liability Attorneys Represent
As the premises liability attorney of choice for countless premises injury victims in the Greater Centralia, IL area for decades, we have worked premises liability claims of all kinds. No matter the type of accident or injury that has befallen you, after you were a guest on a property legally and some kind of dangerous condition caused you harm that the possessor of the property did not protect you from, you could be able to file a premises liability claim. Our excellent premises liability lawyers and paralegals can support you through your claim and guide you in your life after being injured.</p
Premises liability situations can occur on all different kinds of properties and lead to injuries and damages that vary in severity. Some of the hazardous conditions our Centralia, IL premises liability attorneys see in our cases include:
- Floor spills that are not cleaned up or are not marked with a warning sign
- Cracked, uneven, or broken roadways, parking lots, and pathways
- Loose railings
- Uneven flooring
- Unsecured extension cords
- Broken steps
- Faulty doors
- Slippery surfaces due to ice, snow, or water
- Floors, stairs, and other walking areas that are not level and even
- Poorly manufactured or maintained park equipment
- Poor craftsmanship
- Low visibility due to poor lighting
- Falling debris
- Broken locks or insufficient security measures
- Pools without fencing or lifeguards on duty
- Animal attacks
- Bad wiring issues
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, a dog bite, or another type of accident on a property under the ownership and care of someone else, you could be able to file a premises liability claim. With a strong premises liability attorney in Centralia, IL on your side, you can prove your case and recover the settlement you deserve. The right Centralia, IL premises liability lawyer will secure compensation for all your damages like medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other premises liability damages.
Burger Law's attorneys are experienced in all areas of personal injury law in Missouri, Illinois, and beyond. Learn more about other case types we can help you with below.
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Personal Injury Law Firm Centralia, IL - Legal Books
As a victim new to civil claims, you may want to educate yourself on premises liability claims and other personal injury claims. If you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault, it is natural to have many questions about the legal process and your options. Gary Burger and Burger Law have made the decision to create a variety of free resources , including our free e-books. Select a book to learn more or download your copy now!
Premises Liability Attorney in Centralia, IL | Burger Law
Your Centralia, IL premises liability lawyer with Burger Law is ready to help you with all aspects of your injury claim. When you enter a public venue, a living community, a retail store, or other property, you should be able to feel safe and expect that the property you are on is free of dangers. When a property owner or manager neglects their responsibility to keep visitors safe by not addressing or providing adequate warning about a safety issue like a wet floor, an unrestrained animal, falling debris, broken sidewalk, or other dangerous condition that causes you to be injured, you have a right to hold the person in charge of the property accountable and recover compensation for your damages. Get trusted, skilled, dedicated representation from a Burger Law premises liability attorney near Centralia, IL—one who will not rest until the defendant pays for the harm they have caused you. Get started by reaching out to one of our premises liability attorneys right away at 314-542-2222 or online.