PREMISES CLAIMS - injured on another’s property

If you were injured on someone else’s property due to a negligent condition existing on that property, you may be entitled to file what is know as a ‘premises claim’. Premises claims can take any number of forms: Such as:

1) Claims against the city when they fail to fix a sidewalk which they knew was in disrepair and may cause harm;

2) A property owner who knows that a dangerous condition exists and fails to fix that condition.

3) You may be a tenant and your landlord failed to the stairway in your apartment building, and this caused you to sustain a fall resulting in injury.

Depending upon who the defendant may be in your particular circumstance, different requirements must be met. However, regardless of the requirements set by law, there are practical considerations that should be strictly adhered to:

1) If you sustain a serious injury on another’s property, try to document the defective condition with photographs;

2) Always note the exact location of the accident - was it the 5th or 6th step on the stairwell?;

3) Were there any witnesses? And if so and if you personally do not know them, make an effort to get their names and contact information.

Contact a lawyer as quickly as possible because the manner in which your claim is handled at the outset will determine for better or for worse the eventual result of your claim.