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Massachusetts Premises Liability and Slip & Fall Lawyers Fighting for the Injured
Premises liability is the body of law that holds owners and occupiers of property legally responsible for accidents and injuries that happen on the property. Under Massachusetts law, the owner or tenant of the property is responsible for keeping the premises safe and free of hazards that can cause an accident. The people who are injured in these cases may be able to recover compensation for their injuries from the owners or owners of the property where the accident happened.
Legal Status of Visitors
The property owner will generally have some responsibility for any injury received on the property, regardless if the victim is an invitee, licensee, or even a trespasser. The Invitee visitor is someone who is invited onto the property for business reasons. This could include visitors to public places, social guests, and shoppers. The invitee is the visitor that property owners owe the highest level of safety. The property owner is responsible for not only keeping the property hazard-free but also inspecting it regularly to make sure there are no new hazards like spilled liquid at the supermarket that can cause a slip-and-fall accident.
Then there is the licensee visitor. This would be a person that visits a property in a way that does not benefit the property owner. A good example of this is someone at the mall who walks through Macy’s only because it is the fastest way to get to where they parked their car.
The last visitor would be a trespasser. Because Massachusetts law makes it clear that there needs to be a safe environment for all visitors, property owners can still be held to a certain level of liability, regardless if the visitor was given permission or not. The exception to this rule would be children because they may unknowingly trespass as well as not be able to judge levels of potential dangers accurately.
Examples of Premises Liability Cases
- Slip and fall accidents: This is probably the most common type of premises liability case in Massachusetts. Slip and fall cases can include improperly built stairways, stairways, or walkways with insufficient lighting, and spills that have sat long enough to show negligence on the part of the property owner or property possessor.
- Falling objects: Superstores like Home Depot, Wal-Mart, BJ’s, Costco, and Target will keep inventory on the top shelves of aisles. If not placed properly, these items can become falling hazards.
- Heavy machinery injuries: These injuries can happen at sports clubs, fitness centers, and any other place where a visitor can be exposed to an improperly working machine.
- Swimming pool accidents: This is an unfortunate but common type of accident in Massachusetts.
- Negligent security: Property owners are also responsible for providing a safe environment that protects visitors from crimes. This can include assault, rape, mugging, or a shooting.
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