When someone is hurt on another person’s property, it can be challenging to determine who is responsible and what steps to take next. Under Texas law, property owners and lessees may be held liable for injuries that happen on their land.
If you or someone you love was hurt due to unsafe conditions, your premises liability lawyer in Grand Prairie can help you understand your rights.
At The Texas Law Dog, we have recovered millions of dollars for our clients, guiding them through tough times and serious injuries. Your Grand Prairie personal injury lawyer will walk you through what comes next and help you make informed decisions about your claim.
Legal Nuances in Premises Liability Claims
Premises liability cases can involve confusing rules about property ownership, duty of care, and legal responsibility. From insurance disputes to government immunity, there is more to these claims than meets the eye. Knowing where your case fits in can make a significant difference in its progression.
Proving Negligence When the Hazard Was Temporary
Not all accidents happen because of permanent hazards. Sometimes, someone slips on a spill that has just happened or trips over a box that was left in the wrong place. To prove the property owner was negligent, you need to show they either knew about the danger or should have known.
That can mean reviewing store camera footage, maintenance records, or checking whether any employees had walked by without addressing the issue. Temporary hazards are one of the trickiest parts of these cases because the evidence does not always last.
A premises liability lawyer in Grand Prairie helps clients gather the facts quickly. We will show that the risk should have been addressed before someone got hurt.
Suing a Government Entity or Commercial Property Owner
When an injury happens on public property or at a large business, the legal process works differently. Government entities are protected under the Texas Tort Claims Act, and the deadlines for providing notice are often shorter than those in a regular injury case.
If a city, school, or public facility fails to address a known hazard, you may still have a case. However, it must follow very specific rules.
Your Grand Prairie premises liability attorney with The Texas Law Dog can help work out which rules apply and what evidence is needed to move forward. Whether the property belongs to a government office or a national retail chain, we know how to hold the right party accountable.
Grand Prairie Premises Liability Lawyer Near Me (817) 775-5364
Types of Premises Liability Accidents in Grand Prairie
Premises liability claims include more than just slippery floors or broken stairs. You might have been injured at a store, a neighbor’s house, or even a public facility, and identifying who is responsible is not always as simple as it may seem. Your Grand Prairie catastrophic injury lawyer can help you understand whether your case qualifies and what steps to take next.
Slip and Fall, Trip and Fall, and Wet Surface Hazards
Some of the most common accidents we see happen when a property owner fails to clean up a spill or fix uneven flooring. You may have slipped on a wet entryway, tripped on loose carpeting, or fallen because a warning sign was missing. A Grand Prairie slip and fall accident lawyer from our firm can review what happened and help determine if the property owner may be liable.
Dog Bites, Pool Accidents, and Hazards at Private Homes
Not every premises case happens in a store or business. You might have been bitten by a neighbor’s dog, injured at a backyard pool, or hurt because of loose steps or poor lighting at a home. Just because it happened on private property does not mean you have to handle it alone.
Negligent Security, Falling Objects, and Unsafe Conditions
Falls are not the only way someone can get hurt on someone else’s property. You might have been struck by merchandise that was stacked too high, injured in a poorly lit parking lot, or harmed because a business failed to provide security in a high-risk area.
If the injury could have been prevented with basic safety measures, the owner or landlord may be responsible for what happened.
Property Owner Liability for a Claim in Grand Prairie
A premise owner, landlord, or governmental entity could be held liable for damages if they failed to protect visitors from harm. While not all hazards can be anticipated, many premises liability claims happen because someone failed to act in response to a known danger.
Landlord Responsibility
A tenant who is being sued for injuries that occurred on the rented property may add the landlord as a defendant. Lessors of property are generally responsible for common areas, such as stairwells and courtyards. A premises liability attorney in Grand Prairie can determine which parties may be responsible for an accident occurring.
Duty to Contractors
At times, a landowner may hire a contractor for renovations or repairs, and occasionally, that service person may be harmed during the course of the work. Per Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 95.003, a landowner may not be liable for personal injuries to an independent worker unless one of the following applies:
- The owner of the property retains direction and control over the project beyond requesting and paying for the service.
- The property owner was aware of certain dangers on the premises and failed to warn the contractor.
Governmental Liability
Under the Texas Tort Claims Act, individuals may be able to seek compensation from the government for personal injuries sustained at local government-owned locations. These municipal lands include the following:
- Community buildings
- Parks and zoos
- Parking lots
- Convention centers
- Amusement parks
- Recreational venues, including public pools, water parks, and marinas
- Libraries
- Senior citizen centers
- Transportation system facilities
- Construction sites
Landowner Duties to Trespassers
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies § 75.003, a property owner does not owe a duty of care to individuals who are trespassing on their land, except to refrain from willfully inflicting harm on them. An experienced Grand Prairie property liability attorney can use evidence to prove the defendant’s negligence to help the injured claimant recover compensation.
In Grand Prairie, the courts recognize the doctrine of attractive nuisance. According to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 75.007, an artificial condition that may attract children who are too young to appreciate the danger may be an attractive nuisance.
Landowners and lessees may become liable for injuries to minors under the age of 16 if they should have reasonably recognized a potential harm. The property owner must weigh the utility of the artificial condition against the risk to youth and then make the conditions reasonably safe.
What to Do After a Premises Injury in Grand Prairie
The first few hours after getting hurt on someone else’s property can feel like a blur. You might not know what to say, whom to talk to, or whether your injuries are severe enough to take action.
If you are feeling unsure, these simple steps can help you take care of yourself and protect your case at the same time:
- Get checked out by a doctor as soon as you can.
- Let the property owner or manager know what happened.
- Snap a few pictures of the scene and anything that looks unsafe.
- If anyone saw what happened, ask for their name and contact info.
- Ask for a copy of the incident report if one was written up.
- Try not to say anything about who was at fault.
- Do not sign anything from the owner or their insurance company.
- Talk to a lawyer before you file a claim or accept any offer.
Doing these things early on can really help down the road. A Grand Prairie premises liability lawyer handles cases like this every day, and we are happy to step in and take care of the legal stuff so you can focus on getting better. If you’re unsure where to start, we can guide you through the process and discuss the details during a complimentary consultation.
Contact a Premises Liability Attorney in Grand Prairie Today
If you were hurt on someone else’s property, you may benefit from speaking to a premises liability attorney in Grand Prairie. They could help investigate your accident, gather evidence, and talk to witnesses to help prove a property owner’s negligence in court.
With the help of a knowledgeable and compassionate attorney from our team, you may be eligible to seek compensation. We won’t let a negligent property owner get away without a fight. At The Texas Law Dog, we don’t just bark, we bite. Call today to get started.
