Have you ever noticed those bright yellow signs that say “caution” or “slippery surface” plopped in the middle of a store’s floor after it has been mopped or a spill occurred? As much as we may want to feel it’s only because the store owner cares about their customers, it also protects them from potential insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits.
Louisiana Premises Liability Law
Louisiana Premises Liability Law requires all property owners and facility managers to provide safe conditions for visitors. When that doesn’t happen and/or adequate notice isn’t present to inform visitors of a hazard, a person injured because of such conditions may be entitled to financial compensation for related medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and certain other non-economic damages.
The types of premises liability accidents caused may be from uneven sidewalks and steps, inadequate hand and guard rails on stairways, objects in pathways, icy parking lots, falling debris, animal attacks, poor lighting, inadequate security, attractive nuisances, and more.
Personal Injury on Someone Else’s Property
- Call 911 if you’re severely injured and may require emergency medical services.
- Whether your injuries appear serious or not, you should seek medical evaluation and treatment immediately. In certain accidents, injuries may take weeks or even months for symptoms to become apparent. If you have any intention of seeking monetary damages from a property owner, it’s imperative that the incident and injuries be documented by a medical professional.
- Do not make statements to witnesses, the property owner, or managers that may later be used as evidence to hold you accountable for the accident. Try to keep small talk to a minimum, actually. This will do nothing but help you in the long run.
- As much as you are able, collect witnesses’ contact information who saw what happened or can describe the conditions that caused your accident.
- Preserve any evidence surrounding your injury accident such as a broken watch or glasses, torn clothing, or type of footwear worn.
- Insist on filing and obtaining an incident report or police report as soon as possible after the incident, preferably before you leave the property.
- As you recover, carefully maintain all medical reports from physicians, necessary procedures and/or surgeries, receipts for prescription medications, medical equipment, and other expenses related to your injury.
- After you’ve been injured on someone’s property, you’ll be contacted by their insurance company or an attorney asking you for details about what happened—do not give them a statement without consulting a qualified personal injury attorney first. Also, if you’re asked to sign a release or any documents related to the accident, do not sign anything without the advice of a Shreveport premises liability attorney.
- Do not wait until the Louisiana Statute of Limitations expires on personal injury claims which is no longer than one year from the date of injury.
- Do contact an experienced personal injury attorney who is thoroughly knowledgeable about premises liability and can guide you through an insurance claims process or civil court lawsuit.
Contact Highly Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Joseph Greenwald if You’ve Been Injured on Someone Else’s Property
When you’ve been injured due to dangerous conditions on a property owner’s premises, don’t delay contacting esteemed Shreveport personal injury attorney Joseph Greenwald, Jr. The one-year statute of limitations for premises liability is strict.
To learn how you can win the compensation you may be legally entitled to, call the Greenwald Law Firm at 318-219-7867, or request a free consultation!
