When a business is open to the public, those who enter the premises have every reason to expect they will be safe from serious injury. To this end, businesses typically have regulations they must follow to best ensure that customers and clients will not be exposed to serious hazards. But sadly, sometimes patrons suffer serious or even fatal injuries due to the negligence of a careless business owner.
And should someone come to harm while on a business’s property, it is possible that the owners of the business may be held liable. However, it’s important to understand some of the general principles that apply in premises liability cases. There are three things you must be able to prove when filing a lawsuit for compensation.
First, you must show that the condition that caused the accident was created by the owner of the business. In addition, you have to demonstrate that the owner was aware that the condition existed and failed to take effective corrective measures. And finally, it must be shown that the condition existed for a long enough period that it should have come to the owner’s attention and been properly corrected.
These are just the very basic factors that are applied to establish negligence on behalf of a business owner. But property liability cases can often involve far more complicated details. For one thing, different kinds of businesses typically have specific safety guidelines to which they must adhere. As such, there are many possible facets in preparing a civil suit against a negligent owner.
And the severity of the injury suffered by the victim can also determine the manner in which a case must be handled. This is especially true if the accident in question leads to a fatal injury. In such a situation, a wrongful death lawsuit may be the appropriate course of action.
If you are considering taking legal action against a business owner who you believe is responsible for the occurrence of a serious accident, you may wish to solicit the services of an experienced Pennsylvania personal injury attorney who can work to help you get proper compensation.