Haverhill Premises Liability Lawyer 

Property owners, renters, and occupiers of premises have a legal responsibility to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition. If they fail to uphold this legal duty and a lawful visitor is injured as a result, the injured visitor may have a viable legal claim against them. The Haverhill premises liability lawyers with The Cashman Law Firm can help you hold negligent parties accountable for injuries you sustained on someone else’s property. Contact us today for a free case review.

Massachusetts Premises Liability Laws

Massachusetts premises liability laws depend on the legal status of the visitor at the time of the accident:

Invitees

People visiting a property for business purposes are considered invitees under Massachusetts law. An example of an invitee is a store customer. Because the property owner financially benefits from their presence on the property, the owner owes them the highest duty of care. This duty includes warning them about potential dangers and regularly inspecting the property to remedy them.

Licensees

A licensee is a person who has a legal right to be on the property. Examples of licensees under Massachusetts laws are friends, casual visitors, meter readers, and salespeople. These individuals are owed a moderate duty of care. Property owners and occupiers must exercise reasonable care by remedying any dangerous conditions they are aware of or warning visitors about them. However, they don’t have to inspect the property to identify unknown hazards.

Trespassers

Trespassers do not have a legal right to be on the property. As such, property owners owe them the lowest duty of care. They must generally avoid willfully or intentionally harming trespassers.

However, property owners may owe additional duties to the trespasser, depending on the circumstances. For example, if the property owner knows they are there, they must warn them about dangerous conditions on the property. If they maintain an attractive nuisance on the property, they may owe them additional duties.

How Can I Prove My Premises Liability Case

To prevail on a premises liability case, you must be able to show the property owner owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, and the breach caused your injuries. Evidence that can help you demonstrate these legal elements may include:

• Property owner’s duty: You may have text messages, emails, or letters that give you explicit permission to be on the property or other evidence that shows you frequented the property with the landowner’s permission.
• Breach of duty: You must be able to show some type of dangerous condition on the property that led to your injuries, such as broken steps, missing handrails, insufficient lighting, or inadequate security.
• Causation: Video surveillance, photographs, or witness testimony may be able to help show that the defendant’s breach of duty caused your injuries.
• Damages: You may sustain damages from medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.

Contact Our Haverhill Premises Liability Lawyers for a Free Case Review

If you were injured on someone else’s property, you may have the right to recover compensation. The Haverhill premises liability lawyers at the Cashman Law Firm want to help. Call us for a free case review.