Georgia residents who have been injured in a slip and fall accident outside their homes might be interested in learning about when a property owner could be held liable for such injuries. Depending on certain circumstances, a property owner may be fully liable for a slip and fall case. In some instances, however, the person who slipped and fell can be partly to blame.
The main factor in determining the liable party is negligence. Was the property owner aware of any dangerous conditions that could lead to a slip and fall accident but did nothing to correct the issue? Perhaps the property owner simply did not demonstrate reasonable care for the property. In any case, an owner who fails to reasonably keep their property free from obvious hazards could be held liable for damages suffered by anyone injured on their property.
Then there is the factor known as comparative negligence, or middle ground. This is when the injured person’s actions could have contributed to the accident. For instance, if the accident victim was prohibited from entering an area that was marked off, or if the victim was careless or distracted by talking or texting on a mobile device, then they may be partly to blame for the accident.
To keep people from hurting themselves in a slip and fall accident, property owners are responsible for periodically examining their properties for dangerous conditions. They should either restrict hazardous areas from public use or immediately correct the problem. When someone is severely injured in a slip and fall accident because an owner failed to maintain their property, the victim may be able to hold that owner liable for damages.
Source: Stamford Advocate, “Understanding Slip And Fall Accidents,” July 5, 2016