When a person has their own business, they are required to take care of their grounds. If they do not, the property can become dangerous and threaten the safety of those who visit. This can result in accidents that cause life-changing injuries to the people who are involved. Injured parties are able to pursue legal action against a business owner in New Jersey under premises liability law. Continue reading below to learn more.
What are the Three Legal Classes of Visitors?
There are three ways a visitor is classified under premises liability law:
- Invitee: An individual who comes onto a property as an invitation. For businesses, the invitation is to transact business for both parties’ mutual benefit.
- Licensee: A guest who comes onto a property for personal reasons, not to business or commercial. For example, a person invited to a house for dinner can be a licensee. Typically, business visitors are almost always invitees and not licensees.
- Trespasser: An individual who comes onto a property without invitation and is violating trespassing laws. This may be if a customer does not leave when they are asked or they are a burglar. Business owners are not required to keep trespassers safe but cannot purposely cause them harm.
What are Common Causes of Injury Claims?
Common causes of a personal injury accident on business property can include:
- Slippery surfaces: Slip and fall accidents can be caused by rain, snow, ice, spills, wet or waxed floors, etc.
- Faulty stairs and escalators: Stairwell, elevator, and/or escalator accidents can be caused due to broken railings, slippery steps, and mechanical failures.
- Falling merchandise: When an object falls off a shelf, it can injure both employees and customers.
- Physical obstacles: Poorly placed electrical cords, protruding furniture, floor mats or door moldings, door stops, fallen merchandise, etc.
- Inadequate lighting: Curbs, physical obstructions, steps, potholes, etc. may not be seen without proper lighting can cause accidents.
- Parking lots: Concrete car stops, potholes, misdirected cars, uneven pavement, poor signage, construction, criminal activity, etc. can cause accidents.
- Sidewalks: Broken, cracked, or uneven sidewalks can cause accidents. Business owners are not responsible for government-controlled sidewalks but can be for sidewalks adjacent to their business.
- Food poisoning: Customers can get sick due to poor food handling, poor storage, or the transmission of disease from employees at food-service locations.
Contact our Firm
We understand the implications of a serious accident. If you believe you were injured due to another party’s negligence, please do not hesitate to contact our experienced firm. We are more than willing to help you recover the compensation you need to get your life back on track. Our personal injury specialists at Greenberg & Walden, LLC are standing by for a free initial consultation. Call us at 201-528-6928.
