Connecticut slip & fall attorneys

Premises Liability Law in Connecticut

Many slip and fall cases are a matter of premises liability, which focuses on a property owner’s duty of care. Whether it is a store or a home, if you own property, you must keep it in reasonably safe condition. Depending on the situation, Connecticut law outlines specific stipulations as to a property owner’s duty of care to different people on the property.

Someone who is injured on someone else’s property will fall into one of three legally defined categories: invitee, licensee, or trespasser.

An invitee is a person who you invite on your land for business or another mutually beneficial reason.

For an invitee, a property owner must adhere to the following rules:

• He or she may not intentionally harm the invitee
• Invitees are entitled to due care once the property owner knows he or she is there
• The property owner must warn invitees about any potentially dangerous situation that he or she knows about

Property owners owe a similar standard to licensees, who enter a property with permission or consent from the owner.

Connecticut property owners owe significantly less to trespassers; such duties include:

• The property owner may not intentionally harm the trespasser
• He or she must show the trespasser due care once the trespasser makes him or herself known
• The property owner has no duty toward trespassers with regard to the condition of the property
• The property owner has no obligation to inform trespassers of dangerous conditions

With regard to children, however, the duty of care is higher, even if the child is trespassing. If a property owner has any reason to believe that a child will be on the property, he or she must correct any potentially dangerous conditions.

Potential Compensation in Slip & Fall Cases

If the court determines that the defendant is responsible for your injury, it will award you damages. This financial compensation will help you cover the expenses you incur as a result of your injury.

You could receive damages for:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages
• Punitive damages

Connecticut courts adhere to the comparative fault rule, which gives them the right to reduce your compensation if you were partially responsible. For example, if the court determines that you were 10% responsible for the incident, you can only receive up to 90% of the total recovery you would have otherwise received if the court did not find you at fault whatsoever.

How to Prevent Falls & Other Premises Liability Issues

As a property owner or landlord, you may face a liability suit for a slip and fall injury if it happened because you failed to maintain safe conditions on your property. These cases can become very complex; keeping a keen eye out for hazards and taking swift action is the best way to ensure your property is safe and not vulnerable to a lawsuit.

You will want to ask yourself:

• Are railings for stairs and the stairs themselves stable?
• Are cracks in sidewalks or pavements a tripping hazard?
• Is there adequate lighting for parking lots after dark?
• Are there holes in walking areas that could cause tripping?
• Is the entrance free from ice during winter?

Of course, there are just a few things to consider. If you know children or the elderly frequent your property—for instance, if you own a church, daycare, or community center—you should take extra precautions to ensure visitors are not injured by hazards on your property.