Slip & Fall

The law of Premises Liability covers any injury caused on the property of another.  The injury must be foreseeable, and the person injured must qualify as an “invitee” to be entitled to the highest duty owed by a landowner or occupier.  Invitees are typically on another’s premises for a business purpose that benefits the landowner or occupier in some way.  Washington law defines the nature of the duty owed to a visitor by the purpose for which the person enters the property.  Properly identifying the legal status of a person injured on another’s property is the first step in analyzing a potential premises liability claim.

If you qualify as an “invitee”, the next step is to prove the elements essential to bringing a claim for injuries.  We must prove that the owner of occupier of the premises knows of the condition that caused your injury or failed to exercise ordinary care to discover the condition.  The owner or occupier should have realized that the condition that you think caused your injury involves an unreasonable risk of harm to invitees and failed to protect you from it.  This condition cannot be one that you should be able to discover on your own and realize the danger to you.  There are other rules for persons who meet the definition of “social guest” or “trespasser”; the law treats minors differently from minors in some situations.

Expert testimony is needed to establish all but the most obvious cases of landowner or occupier negligence.  These experts are qualified to assess such things as compliance with applicable building codes, human factors analysis, reasonableness of methods used to warn of danger, and the appropriateness of flooring in use at the site of injury.

We have successfully handled many premises liability cases, winning generous settlements and jury verdicts in favor of our clients.  Contact us for an appointment to speak to one of our lawyers at no cost to you.