| Colorado Premise Liability Information
Provided by Premise Liability Attorney Greg Gold:
An accident can happen at any time and to anyone. Property owners and property managers have a legal responsibility to keep their properties safe. If they fail to do so and an injury occurs as a result, they may be held legally responsible. This is known as premises liability. Colorado has strict laws that serve to protect the injured party from such negligence. This statute is known as the Colorado Premise Liability statute, C.R.S. §13-21-115 and it helps to determine how responsible the property owner is for your injuries.
Classifying the Visitors: Invitee, Licensee or Trespasser?
In order to determine legal responsibility under the premises liability law, it is necessary to determine if the victim was an “invitee”, a “licensee” or a “trespasser”. This classification is extremely important and helps determine how much responsibility rests on the property owner.
A person is classified as an invitee if they were either directly or indirectly invited to a property for commercial benefit. An example of this type would be a customer in a department store or a patron in a restaurant. Businesses have a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injuries from occurring and a responsibility to safeguard their establishment.
A person is classified as a licensee if he entered the property for his own benefit as a house guest or a social guest. If the homeowner has direct knowledge of a dangerous situation in their home and they fail to warn the visitor , they may be held legally liable for injuries that occur on their property.
A person is classified as a trespasser if he entered the property without the consent of the property owner. In this situation, the property owner may not be held liable for injuries that occurred on his property, as the victim was there illegally.
Types of Premises Liability Accidents:
In general, there are several common accidents that fall under premises liability laws.
- Slip and Fall Accidents
- Swimming Pool related accidents
- Elevator or Escalator accidents
- Construction site accidents
- Playground accidents
- Daycare or School related accidents
- Amusement park accidents
- House guest accidents
What to do if you are injured on another person's property:
If you are injured on another person's property, you should notify the authorities and seek medical attention immediately. Injuries to the back and spine often go unnoticed after a slip and fall accident and can lead to years of chronic back pain and disabilities. If your accident was caused by another person's negligence, have a loved one take a picture of the accident scene, including any dangerous conditions that may have contributed to your accident.
If you or someone you love was injured in a slip and fall or other type of premises accident you will need an experienced and compassionate Colorado personal injury attorney to handle your case. At the Gold Law Firm, we work hard to achieve the maximum compensation for all of our clients. Contact Gregory A. Gold of the Gold Law Firm today for a free consultation (303) 694-4653.
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