Similar to slip and fall cases, premises liability involves a person or persons sustaining an injury on property owned, leased or rented by another party which was – in the eyes of the law – expected to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of conditions on the property.

Unlike slip and fall issues, premises liability can apply to a wide range of mishaps. In addition to slips and falls, premises cases can arise from falling objects striking a visitor to a property, electrical shocks, falls through floorings, cuts from broken glass, falling doors or walls, trees and/or tree limbs falling, swimming pool injuries/deaths, amusement park accidents, injuries or deaths associated with a lack of security, incidents associated with stairs, escalators and elevators, and many other causes.

Premises liability law varies from state to state, including technical differences in the laws of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Generally, premises liability law includes the obligation of a property’s owner, lessee or renter to exercise a “reasonable duty of care” in keeping property maintained and safe.

Legally, distinctions are made with respect to who is safeguarded and to what degree by premises liability law. Basically, visitors to a property are, under most state laws, divided into several types, each of which has a different degree of legal protection. The bottom line is if a guest or in some cases, even a trespasser, is injured on a property and can prove it was not properly maintained or that warnings were not provided to visitors, the result can be a successful lawsuit against the responsible party.

These accidents can be extremely serious, with victims sustaining permanent injuries, disfigurement, loss of limbs or even death. Victims can lose their ability to work, forced to give up a career, lose wages, incur enormous health care expenses including hospitalization, surgeries and therapy.