Paramus Premises Liability Attorneys
Skilled trial lawyers seek full compensation for injuries throughout New Jersey
With rights come responsibilities. Thus, property owners in New Jersey have a duty to make their premises reasonably safe for visitors. Unfortunately, not every landlord or tenant in control of a premises is conscientious about upholding their responsibilities. As a result, visitors can sustain serious injuries from a wide range of dangerous conditions. If you or a loved one has been harmed due to an unsafe condition on private or public property, the personal injury lawyers at Razi & Giampa Law in Paramus can help. We are skilled trial lawyers who fight for your right to full compensation for the harm you have suffered.
Types of premises liability claims in New Jersey
The type of premises liability case that is most familiar to the public is a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident due to a hidden hazard on a property. These hazards can include:
- Wet floors
- Loose tiles
- Uneven surfaces
- Potholes
- Debris on stairways
- Snow and ice
- Missing handrails
- Poorly lighted stairwells
However, premises liability extends beyond the slip-and-fall scenario to include:
- Falling merchandise accidents at retail stores
- Assault injuries at a bar or club with lax security
- Assault injuries at a hotel or resort with inadequate security
- Fire or explosion injuries on a premises
- Pedestrian or cyclist traffic accidents due to poorly designed or lighted paths
- Parking lot injuries where poor lighting and/or security contributed
- Dog bites
- Swimming pool drownings or injuries
- Amusement park accidents
In each of these circumstances, the question is whether the property owner was reasonable in the performance of his duty to make the premises safe.
Different standards for different visitors
When it comes to duty, there are different standards for different types of visitors, as follows:
- Trespassers — In New Jersey, property owners owe no duty of care to trespassers, except to refrain from deliberate harm and to warn of serious threats to their safety, such as dogs. Posting signs is usually sufficient to fulfill that obligation. There are exceptions, notably for child trespassers. Property owners can be held liable if they have an “attractive nuisance” on their property that might lure children onto the premises, where they could suffer harm.
- Licensees — A licensee is a person who visits a property for their own purposes, such as a social guest. The property owner owes a duty to keep licensees safe from known hazards by remediating dangerous conditions or providing adequate warnings.
- Invitees — An invitee is a person who enters a premises for the benefit of the landowner, such as a customer patronizing a business. The property owner owes the highest duty to invitees, and is required to inspect the premises to discover possible hazards. Property owners can be held responsible for hazards they “should have known about,” but failed to discover and remediate.
New Jersey’s modified comparative negligence law applies to visitors. This means that visitors who are careless when they encounter a potentially dangerous condition on a property can be barred from recovering any damages or have the amount of their recovery reduced in proportion to their fault.
Premises liability can be difficult to prove. Our legal team thoroughly investigates the circumstances of your accident to ascertain the acts, so we can present a compelling claim for the compensation you deserve.
Contact Razi & Giampa Law in Paramus for a free premises liability accident consultation
Razi & Giampa Law in Paramus provides highly professional and personalized legal services for clients injured in premises liability accidents in Bergen County and throughout New Jersey. To schedule a free consultation at our office, in your home, or at the hospital, call us today at 201-534-5011 or contact our firm online.
