Premises Liability Attorneys in Olathe, KS

What is premises liability?

When people think of premises liability, they usually think of slips and falls that happen at grocery stores. Slips and falls do account for thousands of injured victims each year. This is a prime example of premises liability, but it is not the only one. There are several ways that you can be injured on someone else's property.

Swimming pools

When you visit a property with a pool, whether it’s privately owned or located at a hotel, the premises should be safe in order to prevent accidents like drowning, falls, and drain entrapment. There should be appropriate signage posted around the area as well about diving, and all public pools should have lifeguards on duty.

Escalators and elevators

You often see escalators in the malls and rarely think twice about them but in fact, they are actually one of the most common places that premise liability accidents occur. Another seemingly overlooked area is elevators. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has collected data that shows elevators and escalators were the primary culprits in 30 deaths and 17,000 injured victims across the country. Elevators in particular accounted for 90% of those deaths and 60% of injuries.

Operators and property owners must keep both escalators and elevators maintained and free of dangers. Routine inspections must be performed, and elevators and escalators must pass these inspections. If they do not, they must be placed out of order until they can pass an inspection. Elevators can malfunction if the cables are stretched, and the elevator can end up falling.

Dog attacks

While many people think that all dogs are friendly and cuddly, they also have sharp teeth that can cause serious damage. For those who fear dogs, there is a very rational and real fear that any dog can be dangerous no matter how friendly they may seem. Regardless of if you love dogs or you do not, you can be attacked by a dog when you enter another person’s property. These cases are often complex, but if you are an invited guest and a dog attacks you then the owner of the dog can be held liable for your injuries. You will need to prove liability in one of the following ways:

• Dog owners must be in control of their dogs, and they owe you a duty of reasonable care to do so. This can consist of keeping the dog on a leash.
• Once a duty of care has been established it must be proven that the dog owner acted negligently. This could be not ensuring the dog stayed on its leash and became loose.
• It must be shown that the dog owner’s negligence harmed the visitor in some way.

Parks and entertainment venues

When you visit a place like TimberRidge Adventure Center, Lake Olathe Park, or Main Event Entertainment, you go there to have fun and create memories. The last thing you expect is to be injured while there. Since you and your family are legally allowed to be on the premises – after all, you bought a ticket to get in – this establishes the duty of care between you and the property owners.

The owners of amusement parks, water parks, and entertainment venues will need to ensure that the entire property is safe for all guests. This means ensuring that rides are safe to use, spills are cleaned up and there are no loose cables strewn about. There are other requirements they must meet which can be discussed with an Olathe premises liability attorney.

Most often, children are the ones injured at these places. Adults can also be injured, and the property owners can be held liable. It is important that safety precautions and rules are followed. If they are not, then the park may not be held liable. You must be following all signage and instructions, or you could be barred from recovering damages