Practice Areas

Personal Injury

Family Law

Auto/Car Accidents

Estate Planning/Probate

Real Estate

Putnam Law Office
801 Commerce Dr.
Decorah, Iowa 52101
Tel: (563) 382-2984
Fax: (563) 382-8810
E-mail: info@putlaw.com Blog:http://blog.putlaw.com

Decorah, Iowa Attorney practicing in Iowa primarily in Personal Injury, Family Law, Auto/Car Accidents, Estate Planning/Probate, and Real Estate. Attorneys at Putnam Law Office are dedicated to serving their clients in Iowa, including the cities of Decorah, West Union, Waukon, Cresco, Elkader, New Hampton, Dubuque, Waterloo, Mason City, Waverly, Independence, Charles City, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Osage, Davenport, Garner, Eldora, & Clinton, and the communities that make up Winneshiek, Fayette, Allamakee, Howard, Clayton, Chickasaw, Dubuque, Black Hawk, Cerro Gordo, Bremer, Buchanan, Floyd, Johnson, Linn, Mitchell, Scott, Hancock, Hardin, and Clinton counties.

Contact an Iowa Personal Injury lawyer representing clients in Davenport, Iowa today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Personal Injuries due to Slips/Falls

Description

Injuries incurred on other’s property may be the legal responsibility of the owners or occupiers of the property. Depending on the rules and principles in the jurisdiction where the injury occurred, liability for damages including lost wages and medical bills, as well as pain and suffering may be recovered. A competent Personal Injury lawyer knows the Premises Liability Laws and will able to determine if damages due to an injury caused by a slip or fall may be sought. Common causes of slips and falls include ice and snow, spilled liquid, uneven stairs and broken steps. Slips and falls are usually complex. There are several legal issues and complications that need to be addressed. Personal Injury attorneys with premises liability experience are best qualified to advise you on your rights and the possibility to obtain positive outcomes in slip and fall cases.

Liability Principles

No matter how a person ended up on your property, you may be liable for an injury. It doesn’t matter if you invited someone onto your property (an invitee), someone comes onto your property with your permission for their own purposes (a licensee) or someone comes on without any permission (a trespasser). Owners are required to warn others of possible dangers, even trespassers, if it may be proven that you knew someone is likely to trespass on your property.

Premises Liability Laws in some states focus on the visitor’s status on the property. Licensees need to be warned of hidden dangerous areas, and the owner may not necessarily need to have these areas fixed. Trespassers may recover damages if they may prove the owner knew others would enter his or her property without permission. Even though proper warning signs need not to be placed in the case of trespassers, it is still wise to do so in case children wander onto your property. Children that are injured on your property are more likely to recover damages, even if they are trespassers. This fact increases the property owners duty to warn in the case of children.

The condition of the property and activities of the owners, visitors and licensees are given consideration in some states. Reasonable care must be given to any visitor or licensees, but not to trespassers. Owners must continually inspect property and repair or place warnings on any dangerous conditions. The injured party must show neglect to the standard of reasonable upkeep by the owner to prove a premises liability case and prove the owner had knowledge of the danger. The injured party must also show that they took reasonable care for their own safety. It is very difficult to prove owners knew of dangers and that injured parties took reasonable care to avoid the danger.

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DISCLAIMER: The information you obtain at our firm web site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. It is recommended that you consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.

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If you would like to schedule a free initial consultation, contact an Iowa Personal Injury attorney, representing clients in Davenport, Iowa at the Putnam Law Office. Give us a call at (563) 382-2984 or email us at info@putlaw.com.