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A Gaithersburg premises liability lawyer can provide essential support when you’ve been injured on someone else’s property due to negligence. Property accidents happen unexpectedly and can leave victims facing mounting medical bills, lost income, and significant pain and suffering. Maryland law protects those injured due to unsafe property conditions, but navigating these claims requires specialized legal knowledge and experience.
At Regan Zambri Long, our dedicated premises liability attorneys understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll these accidents take. We work tirelessly to investigate your case, identify all liable parties, and pursue justice. Don’t face this challenging time alone—call our law firm today.
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Premises liability refers to a property owner’s legal responsibility for injuries on their property due to unsafe conditions. Under state law, Maryland property owners must maintain reasonably safe environments for visitors and warn them about known dangers that aren’t obvious.
The legal obligation varies based on why someone is on the property. Maryland recognizes three categories of visitors:
Property owners owe the highest duty of care to invitees, requiring them to regularly inspect properties, fix known hazards, and warn visitors of potential dangers. Licensees must warn about known risks, but aren’t required to examine for new ones. Even trespassers are owed a minimal duty of care. Property owners cannot intentionally set traps or create situations likely to cause harm.
Understanding these distinctions is essential when building your premises liability case. The Gaithersburg personal injury attorneys at Regan Zambri Long can help determine your visitor status and the corresponding duty of care owed to you.
Premises liability encompasses many accidents and injuries on someone else’s property. In Gaithersburg, our attorneys regularly handle:
When property owners don’t fix problems like wet floors, icy walkways, bad lighting, or uneven surfaces, it can cause people to get hurt. These safety issues can lead to serious injuries, such as broken bones, head injuries, and back problems. In many cases, these injuries can be severe enough that the person hurt needs a lot of medical attention to recover. It’s essential for owners to take care of their properties to keep everyone safe and prevent accidents. Simple fixes, like putting out rugs for wet floors, salting icy paths, improving lighting, and repairing uneven surfaces, can make a big difference in keeping people safe.
If a property owner does not provide enough security and this causes someone to get hurt, robbed, or fall victim to any other crime, the property owner might be held accountable for the injuries that result. This means that if someone is attacked or harmed because the area was not safe, such as no lights, cameras, or security guards, the property owner can be held responsible for what happened. Victims may be able to seek compensation for their injuries and other damages because the owner failed to keep the place secure.
Property owners have a responsibility to keep their buildings safe and well-maintained. If they ignore issues like cracks in the walls, broken stairs, loose handrails, or exposed electrical wires, they can be held responsible if someone gets hurt because of these problems.
Pool owners have a big responsibility to keep their pools safe. They need to take measures like putting up fences around the pool, using covers to prevent accidents, and placing clear warning signs to remind everyone about safety. By doing these things, they can help protect people, especially children, from drowning or getting hurt. If they don’t take these safety steps, they could be held responsible for any accidents that happen.
In Maryland, dog owners are held to a strict liability standard. This means that if a dog causes an injury to someone, the owner is usually responsible for that injury, even if the dog had never shown any signs of aggression before. It doesn’t matter if the owner took good care of their dog or if they believed their dog would never hurt anyone; they can still be held accountable for any harm caused by their pet.
Businesses need to ensure that their locations are safe for customers and visitors. Several common dangers can cause accidents. For example, spilled liquids on the floor can cause people to slip and fall. Additionally, items that are not secured properly can fall off shelves and injure someone. It’s also important to have good lighting, especially in parking areas, so everyone can see clearly and avoid tripping or getting into accidents.
Malfunctioning elevators and escalators can lead to serious injuries for people using them. Building owners must regularly check and maintain this equipment to ensure it works safely. If any elevators or escalators are out of service, they should give clear warnings so that people know not to use them.
If you’ve experienced any of these accidents in Gaithersburg, contact Regan Zambri Long for a thorough evaluation of your case so you can get started building your premises liability claim.
Determining responsibility in premises liability cases often involves identifying all potentially responsible parties:
Property owners, whether they have commercial buildings like stores and offices or residential properties like houses and apartments, are mainly responsible for keeping their properties safe for everyone who uses them. This means they need to regularly check for any hazards, fix issues like broken steps or loose railings, and make sure everything is clean and well-maintained. By doing these things, they help prevent accidents and ensure that everyone feels secure when visiting or living on their property.
Property managers must keep common areas clean and safe for everyone, such as hallways, lobbies, and shared facilities. They must fix any hazards, such as broken steps or poor lighting, that could cause accidents. If something goes wrong, they could be held responsible alongside property owners who didn’t take the necessary steps to avoid problems.
Even if they don’t own the building where their business is located, business owners still have a responsibility to keep their customers safe. This includes ensuring that the inside of their store or office is safe and free from hazards, like spills on the floor or faulty equipment that could cause injuries. They should handle any issues promptly so customers feel safe while shopping or visiting.
Public spaces, like parks, sidewalks, and government buildings, have different rules regarding safety and liability. If someone gets hurt in these areas, the laws regarding filing a claim are often stricter, and there may be a shorter time frame to report the injury. This can make it a bit more complicated for people seeking compensation for their injuries in these locations.
If you’re a personal injury plaintiff who’s been hurt as a result of property conditions, you may be entitled to various forms of compensation:
This includes all the medical expenses you might have now and in the future because of your injury. These might consist of costs for emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, physical therapy sessions, and any ongoing care you might need over time. It is essential to consider immediate costs and those that could come up later as you recover.
When an injury stops you from being able to work, you have the right to be compensated for the money you’ve lost. This means you should be able to recover not just the wages you’ve already missed out on, but also any future income you might lose because your ability to work has been affected. Considering your future needs can ease some of the stress of recovering from a serious injury.
In addition to any money you might receive for economic losses, you can also get compensation for other vital areas affected by your injuries. Physical pain you have experienced, emotional distress such as anxiety or sadness, and any decrease in your overall quality of life can be considered. Essentially, if your injuries have made it harder for you to enjoy daily activities or have caused you suffering, you may be able to receive extra compensation for those issues as well.
In cases where someone has acted extremely carelessly or intentionally to harm others, courts have the power to give extra money called punitive damages. This additional money is meant to punish the wrongdoer for their behavior and discourage others from doing the same thing. It’s about making people think twice before acting in harmful ways.
In a premises liability scenario, time is critical due to statutes of limitations for reporting accidents. In addition, taking the proper steps after a property accident strengthens your claim:
First, seek immediate medical attention, even if injuries seem minor. Some severe conditions may not show symptoms immediately, and medical records create an essential link between the accident and your injuries.
Document the accident scene thoroughly. Take photos of the hazardous condition and your injuries before conditions change. Collect contact information from witnesses who saw what happened.
Report the incident to the property owner, manager, or business staff. Ensure they create a written report, and request a copy for your records.
Preserve evidence, such as your clothing and shoes, during the accident. Avoid discussing fault or giving recorded statements to insurance companies without legal representation.
Call a premises liability lawyer as soon as possible. Early legal intervention helps preserve evidence and protect your rights while you focus on recovery.
The personal injury attorneys at Regan Zambri Long provide comprehensive legal representation in premises liability cases.
We provide personalized attention and regular updates throughout your case, ensuring you’re informed and comfortable with every decision.
Our attorneys bring decades of experience specifically in premises liability law. We understand Maryland’s complex legal standards and how to build compelling cases that get results.
We have established a proven record of securing substantial client settlements and verdicts. Our reputation gives us leverage when negotiating with insurance companies.
We operate on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we win your case. This allows you to pursue justice without financial risk.
Don’t wait to get the legal help you need after a premises liability accident in Gaithersburg. Contact Regan Zambri Long today for a free consultation and take the first step toward receiving the compensation you deserve.
