Visiting someone else’s property always carries some measure of risk, just like driving around on public roads or using a consumer product does. Additionally, just like other drivers and product manufacturers, landowners who invite visitors onto their land assume a duty to protect those visitors from foreseeable harm. A property owner who violates that duty and allows a visitor to get hurt as a result may be liable for that person’s damages.
If you were injured by a dangerous condition on another person’s property, you should speak with an experienced Largo personal injury attorney sooner rather than later about a possible lawsuit or settlement demand. Working with a Largo premises liability lawyer from Distasio Law Firm could be key not just to recovering for your financial expenses and personal losses, but also to doing so within the time limits prescribed by state law.
Holding a Landowner Liable for Specific Losses
In Florida, landowners have different “duties of care” relative to different types of visitors on their property. Florida property owners owe the least substantial duty to trespassers who are on their land without lawful authority or permission. In fact, landowners usually are not liable at all for accidental injuries suffered by trespassers, with some exceptions made for trespassing minor children under specific circumstances.
“Licensees” visiting for their own personal benefit are owed a greater duty, as property owners must provide advance warning of any hazards on their land that they know of when the licensee is present. For “invitees” visiting for the landowner’s benefit, landowners must not only provide warning of known hazards but also inspect their property regularly for hazards they have yet to discover. If such a hazard injures an invitee, the property owner may be liable even if they had no actual knowledge of that hazard at the time.
Regardless of how it is established, a property owner or manager found liable for allowing a visitor to be injured can then be held responsible to pay for all past and future forms of harm that visitor can connect to their injuries, including:
- All medical bills and related expenses, like prescription drug costs
- Personal property loss/damage
- Missed work income and/or lost working capacity
- Physical pain from injuries
- Lost enjoyment of life and other effects of psychological/emotional distress
A knowledgeable Largo premises liability attorney like Scott Distasio could clarify how state law might apply to a particular scenario during a confidential consultation.
Filing Deadlines for Property Liability Claims
Another element of Florida law worth knowing about when considering a premises liability claim in Largo is the statute of limitations for personal injury litigation.
Under Florida Statutes §95.11(3), most people injured by someone else’s negligence have two years after discovering their injuries to start any lawsuit they intend to file, or they may be barred permanently from ever getting civil compensation for that incident. As a premises liability lawyer in Largo could explain, though, there are exceptions to this rule, most notably when the injured party is a minor child.
Get in Touch with a Largo Premises Liability Attorney
While property owners can and should be held legally liable for harm they cause lawful visitors on their land through negligence, recovering compensation through a premises liability claim can be extremely challenging in practice. Obtaining a positive case result will almost certainly be even harder if you try to do so without accomplished legal counsel on your side.
A capable Largo premises liability lawyer’s assistance could massively improve your chances of securing the restitution you need for the harm you never should have suffered. Learn more by calling the dedicated team of Largo accident attorneys at Distasio Law Firm today.
