Premises Liability

Premises Liability Lawyers Serving South Florida

In Florida, property owners have a duty to provide a safe environment to those who visit their premises. If you were injured while on someone else’s property, the Miami premises liability attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon can help you evaluate your claim and receive the compensation you deserve. Accidents occurring due to a property owner’s negligence could result in built up expenses for a victim, and consulting an experienced personal injury attorney is the best place to start. Please contact our office today for a free consultation about your case.

Premises Liability Situations

An array of conditions could give rise to a premises liability case. A property owner is responsible for maintaining lit walkways, the safety of elevators, cleaning up spilled substances, and maintaining adequate security, as well as displaying warning signs for potential hazards. A small puddle can quickly turn into a big problem, and injury. Property owners are responsible not only for the inside maintenance of their premises, but also sidewalks, stairways, and other common areas.

Levels of Care

Someone entering another person’s property is expected to exercise their own reasonable care to maintain their safety. However, a property owner also owes differing levels of care based on the status of their visitor.

A business invitee is owed the highest level of care when entering an establishment for a business purpose. This type of visitor includes those visiting a mall to shop, or entering a restaurant to eat a meal, as well as those entering another’s home to fix a sink. Property owners opening up their establishments to business invitees must conduct regular inspections of the premises for any dangerous conditions.

Under Florida law, to establish premises liability as a business invitee, the injured person must show that the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition and should have taken action to remedy it. For example, if a store had flooring that was uneven due to a chipped or broken tile that caused a customer to trip and fall, that defective condition could lead to premises liability.

To establish an owner’s ‘constructive knowledge’ of a dangerous condition, the injured party must show that:

  • Given the length of time that the dangerous condition existed, the business establishment should have known of the condition if exercising ordinary care; or
  • The condition occurred regularly, and therefore, was foreseeable.

Owed a slightly lower duty of care are licensees. These are visitors entering premises for a social purpose, such as friends and family attending a dinner party at a home. Property owners entertaining such guests must maintain the premises in a reasonably safe manner and repair unsafe conditions, as well as warn visitors of any known dangers.

A property’s owner even owes trespassers – people entering without any permission – a limited duty of care. In Florida, property owners must maintain premises in order to prevent intentional or reckless injury. This means that if a trespasser is injured due to a homemade, dangerous security system, the owner could be liable for that injury.

Children and Attractive Nuisances

In Florida especially, pools and other water structures are commonplace in homes as well as many other establishments. And with a pool, comes a potentially dangerous condition. The “attractive nuisance doctrine” creates a separate duty to children, where property owners must exercise special care to protect children from conditions that are likely to attract them and could be dangerous. Such conditions include swimming pools, trampolines, broken objects, and other conditions where a child could be drawn in.

Compensation for Injuries

Injuries, and their associated expenses, can be overwhelming. If you were injured while on someone else’s property due to the owner’s failure to maintain a safe space, you may be entitled to recover damages. Medical costs, lost income, and punitive damages may be available in a premises liability suit. In the tragic situation of a lost loved one, you may be able to recover damages for a wrongful death if severe injuries on someone else’s property lead to death.

Find Seasoned Attorneys in South Florida

The experienced Ft. Lauderdale slip and fall injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon can offer you guidance if you’ve been injured on somebody else’s property, and can help you evaluate what compensation you may be entitled to for your injuries. Our attorneys serve Miami/Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as Florida locations statewide. Contact personal injury attorney to schedule a free consultation regarding your premises liability action. Please call 877.499.4878 or contact us online for a free, no obligation consultation, even if you are not sure if you have a case.

Client Reviews
★★★★★
"Thank you to Robert Dixon & Kristopher Torres for an amazing experience handling with my first injury lawsuit. Very much hassle-free and down to earth experience working with this law firm. I would definitely use them again! My case was settled and I am satisfied with the results! Glad to have them fighting on my behalf." Diamond Epps
★★★★★
"This firm goes out of there way to make sure all of your needs are met. They are wonderful and within a year, my settlement was reached. In addition, I never waited more than a couple hours for someone to get back with me. I highly suggest this firm." Melissa Ellis
★★★★★
"I had the pleasure of working with attorney Torres when I was involved in a car accident last year. He was always checking up on me, always making sure that I was getting the proper treatment that I needed. Whenever I called the office everyone was so nice and willing to help me. I'm glad he was my attorney and thank you for such a wonderful service from you and your firm." Natalie J.
★★★★★
"I'd like to say that the Law Office of Robert Dixon has been great to work with since the inception of my case back in 2016. Robert and team made me feel rest assured that patience would constitute a much larger settlement and that truly was the case. ... I highly recommend this law firm for anyone needing help from a very compassionate team of hard workers. Thanks again everyone for this positive experience as this was my first time ever dealing with the courts or a law firm...." Paul Carlson
★★★★★
"Jodie, Jennifer and the WHOLE Team are AWESOME! Everyone I have spoken to, have been very professional, patient and kind. The ladies take their time to ensure you understand everything that is happening every step of the way. Each time I would have a question, they were available via e-mail or a quick phone call." Nathalie Perez