Premise Liability

Premise liability is the standard of care or the duty for property owners. It outlines the level of care a homeowner, building owner or landowner must use to maintain their property to protect visitors. Actions which must be done to exercise reasonable care can include inspecting their property, identifying dangerous conditions and repairing them if possible. If dangerous conditions cannot be repaired property owners should post appropriate warning signs.

Under premise liability law if a property owner fails to perform their duty and a visitor is injured the injured party may be able to seek compensation for their injuries. State laws vary in defining an owner's responsibility and their level of care as it applies to invitees, trespassers and licensees. Before determining liability in a premise liability case the court will review why the visitor was on the property, the property's function, the predictability of the accident and the steps the owner took prior to the accident to repair the property or warn the injured of the impending danger.