Atlanta Premises Liability Lawyer

In Georgia, the name for this area of personal injury law is “premises liability,” and it allows victims of negligence to sue a careless property owner—whether it be an individual or company.

If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury at a place where there was every reason to believe it would be safe, you should consult Charles Scholle and his team of experienced Atlanta premises liability attorneys at Scholle Law. Based in Gwinnett County, we represent clients across Metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia who suffered serious personal injuries because of someone else’s carelessness.

How our Georgia premises liability lawyers can help you

For example, a former client of ours was sleeping in his rental home one night when he woke up to his house engulfed in flames. In order to escape with his life, he had to run through the flames and suffered severe burns that required months of skin grafting procedures.

Upon further investigation, we discovered that the fire was electrical in nature. After exhausting all pre-litigation investigation tactics, we filed a lawsuit and secured documentation from the landowner and rental management company proving that there had been previous electrical incidents in the house—and even a previous electrical fire.

In light of these and other facts uncovered during our extensive investigation, we used this leverage to negotiate with the insurance company for the full policy limits of $100,000 under the landowner’s home insurance policy to help pay for our client’s burn injuries. Without our involvement and infestation, our client would likely have received far less compensation.

Georgia premises liability laws

Where an owner or occupier of land, by express or implied invitation, induces or leads others to come upon his premises for any lawful purpose, he is liable in damages to such persons for injuries caused by his failure to exercise ordinary care in keeping the premises and approaches safe.

It’s important to note that this specific statute only applies to an “invitee” on the premises. Which duty or standard of care you’re owed by the property owner or manager will depend on what group you fall into:

• Invitees. Invitees are owed the highest standards of care because they are invited onto the property. Property owners or managers have a duty to keep their premises safe and reasonably maintain a danger-free environment for invited guests. Examples of invitees include store shoppers, restaurant or bar patrons, delivery workers and mailmen, anyone on public property, houseworkers, social guests, etc.
• Licensees. A lesser duty of care is owed to licensees, which include individuals who were not explicitly invited onto the property but who are allowed to be on the premises. For licensees, property owners must avoid “recklessly or wantonly” causing injury to the visitor. Examples of licensees include friends, family and neighbors dropping by, unsolicited door salesmen, etc.
• Trespassers. Trespassers are owed the lowest duty of care because they neither have explicit nor implied consent to be on the property. The owner generally does still have a responsibility not to intentionally or willfully injure a trespasser. There are some important exceptions. For instance, if a child trespasses on a property, they are typically considered a licensee even though they didn’t have express permission to be on the premises.

Common causes of premises liability injuries

Premises liability law doesn’t only apply to slip and falls in stores or restaurants—it also applies to accidents at other businesses, in private homes and on government properties such as parks and libraries. It can apply to a variety of situations, in public or private places, as long as you weren’t trespassing. In a premises liability case, you’re suing the owner or operator of the place where you got hurt for failing to remove or warn you about a clear safety hazard.

Injured on someone else’s property? Get help now and protect your rights

If you or someone you love suffered a serious injury because of a property owner’s carelessness, you should consult with Scholle Law. We have more than 20 years of experience recovering fair compensation for seriously injured Georgia residents, and we have a strong record of results to show for it.

Best of all, we offer free, no-obligation consultations, during which you can tell us your story and learn more about how Georgia’s premises liability laws might apply to your case. We’ve helped clients across the state secure compensation for injuries caused by someone else’s negligence.