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The idiosyncrasies of premise liability law vary from state to state and from property to property. However, the general premise of these laws is that the owner of a property is legally responsible to varying degrees for the safety of the property. Under these laws, owners of retail or other “public” properties have a higher liability then do owners of private property. Therefore, if one person is injured in a store due to the owner’s negligence of safety issues, and another person is injured in a similar fashion on private property, it possible that the store owner could be held legally accountable for reparation to the injured party whereas the owner of the private property might not be. This is not to say that the owner of a public property is held “strictly liable” for every personal injury that occurs on that property despite any actions taken to prevent them. Oklahoma premise liability laws are in place to insure that “a high duty of care” is provided to “invitees” of a property, not to insure that everyone injured outside the home has legal means to seek compensation.
Oklahoma Premise Liability Laws
Oklahoma premise liability lawsuits can arise from a variety of negligent actions on the behalf of a property owner. Slip and fall injuries are some of the most common personal injuries to bring about premise liability claims, especially for retail properties. A slip and fall that results in a personal injury is quite often seen as the direct result of a property owner’s negligence in either: warning the injured party of a hazardous condition, providing adequate safety considerations (railings, non-slip traction, lighting, etc.), or remedying the situation with ample promptness (leaving an electrical cord stretched across a walkway, not cleaning up a spill, etc.). Swimming pool safety, falling merchandise, and other hazardous conditions also lead to premise liability lawsuits every day.
Slip and Fall Lawsuits in Oklahoma
A slip and fall claim is a type of personal injury lawsuit filed by an Oklahoma plaintiff who has been injured in a slip and fall accident, usually on the defendant’s property. Examples of common slip and fall lawsuits include the grocery store patron who slips on a spill or a piece of food laying on the floor, and falls, causing injury to himself, or a hotel guest who slips in the shower and injures her back in the process. The plaintiff in slip and fall cases must usually show that the owner of the property had notice or knowledge of the condition, and failed to rectify it within a reasonable amount of time. If the plaintiff slipped on a grape that had been lying on the floor for two hours, and the manager of the store had walked past it and inspected it five times before asking someone to clean it up, liability is likely.
Falling Merchandise Lawsuits in Oklahoma
Oklahoma premise liability laws require shop owners to provide adequate safety considerations for all patrons in their store. If they create a hazardous condition by stacking boxes too high, overstocking shelves or not securing merchandise in a warehouse, which results in an injury to you or a loved one, they are liable for the damages they caused. Since the creation of the super store Wal-Mart, over 17,000 claims of injury due to falling merchandise have been filed. The unfortunate circumstances of being struck by a falling product, falling box or falling ladder can lead to debilitating injuries such as closed-head injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones and in the most extreme situations, wrongful death.
Contact Our Reputable Attorneys Today
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a slip and fall accident, due to falling merchandise, or in another type of premise liability situation, contact our knowledgeable attorneys at Oklahoma Legal Center today. We have extensive experience litigating premise liability cases, and we are here to fight for your rights as a consumer. Please fill out our contact form or call us toll free.