Premises Liability Lawyer Orange County

Orange County Premises Liability Attorney

You spend a lot of time out and about in your community. You go to work every day, you like to go out to eat, you shop, you go to the beach… you’re no sort of homebody. Living in Southern California lends itself nicely to that type of lifestyle, as there is a lot to see and do here. You’re not an overly daring person, and you tend to generally keep to yourself and not put others at risk. Yet you are still vulnerable to harm wherever you go, especially if someone’s property is not properly maintained and therefore dangerous. If you’ve been injured while on someone else’s land and you don’t think it was your fault, you’re facing a very technical, complicated and stressful situation, particularly if you’re facing mounting losses and you’re unsure of what to do next.

People in Southern California are injured while on the property of others on a daily basis. Some people slip and fall on a wet spot on the floor of their local grocery store. Some trip over an unseen bump in the rug at a nearby restaurant. Some injure themselves because a sidewalk or a road isn’t properly maintained. There are countless scenarios that can lead to devastating injuries and losses, and you may be one of the many people who’s been forced into this situation. If so, you need to seek the advice of an Orange County premises liability lawyer at Montevideo Law as soon as possible.

Now What?

No one expects to be injured when they go shopping or to the beach or out for a walk or anything else. If you are dealing with massive injuries, excruciating pain and mounting financial losses and you’re like any of the clients that Montevideo Law has helped, you need to act quickly in order to protect your legal rights. Yet you find yourself hesitating to do so because of some questions that are swirling in your head. These questions may include:

• How did this happen?
• Who is responsible for these losses?
• What are my legal rights when on someone else’s property?
• How will I deal with these medical bills?
• How will I make ends meet since I’m not going to be able to work for quite some time?
• What should I do about these insurance company people who keep calling?
• Is the pain I’m experiencing ever going to go away?

Every premises liability lawyer at Montevideo Law has represented a person who has been injured while on someone else’s property. If you have been injured somewhere other than on your property, you should fill out an incident report if possible and you should obtain medical attention. From there, you should immediately contact the firm to schedule a free initial consultation so that you know how to proceed.

Duties of Property Owners/Occupiers

While you should have your specific situation reviewed by an Orange County premises liability attorney, there are some generalities in place that could help you put things into context. Every property owner or occupier owes a general duty of care to anyone who may foreseeably enter that piece of property. That duty of care basically states that:

• The property owner/occupier must maintain a reasonably safe place.
• The property owner/occupier must repair a dangerous condition within a reasonable amount of time.
• The property owner/occupier must overtly disclose any dangerous conditions that are not repaired.
• The property owner/occupier must disclose any hidden dangers on that property.

Basically, anyone who owns or otherwise occupies property where people spend time needs to make sure that they do what they can to maintain the property and to warn the public about things that may cause them harm. It should also be noted that the person who was injured needs to have been there lawfully. There are not nearly as many legal protections for people who were trespassing on another’s property at the time the injury occurred.

Government Property

We all spend time on government property from time to time. Many of us will mail letters at the post office or renew or driver’s license at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The government owes the same duty of care to those who may foreseeably enter their premises as any other property owner or occupier.
As such, if someone is injured by a dangerous condition on government property and it’s determined that this dangerous condition should have been handled differently, the local, county, state or federal government could be liable for damages.

However, there are often extra steps involved with pursuing a legal claim against a government entity, and if you make a mistake in this situation it could lead to your otherwise-valid claim being barred as a matter of law. Make sure you speak to an Orange County premises liability attorney if you’ve been harmed on government property.

Adjacent Private Landowner Liability

What if you were injured because you didn’t see a dangerous problem with a sidewalk and you tripped, fell and suffered multiple broken bones and a head injury? Do you pursue recovery from the city or from the owner of the house adjacent to that portion of the dangerous sidewalk? Once again, you need to make the right decision at this juncture in order to protect your legal rights.

In general, private property owners who own land adjacent to public spaces such as sidewalks and the like are responsible for properly maintaining those public places. In many municipalities, the private property owner will receive notice from the municipality that he or she needs to repair a dangerous condition if one exists. Therefore, these situations often involve careful legal analysis of the situation in order to determine who should be held responsible for your injuries.

Get Experienced Legal Assistance From an Irvine Premises Liability Lawyer

If you have been harmed on someone else’s property, don’t take the chance that you’ll be able to handle it on your own. Seek the help of an Orange County premises liability owner who understands how to successfully fight for the rights of injured clients. Contact Montevideo Law today to schedule a free initial consultation.