Property Injuries

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Property Injuries

We are Forrest B. Johnson and Associates, and we are proud to be of service to you for your legal affairs concerning personal injury, vehicle and transportation accidents, and private property accidents. Don’t be afraid to stand up to other lawyers, insurance companies, and big businesses. Our law firm will not only back you up, we will get you paid what you deserve.

Slip and Fall

For over fifty years, Forrest B. Johnson & Associates has represented individuals who have been victims of slip and fall accidents. Most commonly, slip and fall injuries result from the negligence of landowners, whether residential or commercial, and the dangerous conditions which may exist on public or private property that the landowner has failed to make safe.

In general terms, “slip and fall” accidents refer to situations where a person is injured by slipping or tripping, and falling due to a dangerous condition on the premises. Such falls can happen inside or outside a building and be caused by such conditions as bad flooring, wet floors, poorly lit steps, or, in the case of outdoor accidents, weather-related or hidden hazards. For instance, an icy patch outside a door, a crack, or pothole can be the cause of a slip and fall accident in a parking lot.

All slip and fall accidents are covered by negligence law and deal with the concept of premises liability. Property owners have a “duty of care” to see that their property is safe. This includes ensuring that the building has no structural defects, both inside and out, that could cause an accident. Structural defects can include-loose floor mats, rugs, or tiles; water on the floor; badly lit stairs or steps; cracks or holes in sidewalks or parking lots. Weather-related hazards may include standing water and icy spots. A plaintiff, or claimant, also has a duty to exercise reasonable care, so if any action of yours contributed to the accident, you may share in the negligence.

In slip and fall cases, it is crucial that your attorney commence investigation as soon as possible. Photographs and measurements of the accident site need to be taken immediately. Hiring a safety engineer to examine the site and determine whether any code violations exist is critical. Oftentimes, the landowner will change the condition which caused the fall and claim that it did not exist. Again, a speedy investigation is crucial in prevailing in a slip and fall case. Your attorney will also need to find out whether other people have had falls at this location which would prove that the landowner had notice of the condition.

If you or a family member has been injured on another’s property, please contact our office immediately.

Negligent Premises Security

Negligent security, or inadequate premises security litigation, stems from premises liability law. A landowner or business has a duty to keep its premises safe and secure for its tenants/customers (think of a supermarket’s duty to keep its floor dry to prevent slip-and-falls). Using this same logic, a landowner or business has a duty to secure its premises if it is reasonably foreseeable that a crime will occur.

Examples:

•A nightclub or bar has a duty to have adequate security to prevent fights and violence.

•A landlord has a duty to employ proper security to ensure that its tenants are not at risk of robbery, rape, or murder.

•A hotel has a duty to have adequate security to prevent foreseeable crimes against its customers.

•A business has a duty to secure its premises and prevent any foreseeable violent attacks against its patrons.

Negligent security cases employ the same underlying law as premises liability cases-particularly the concepts of “duty” and “foreseeability.” First, a duty must exist to keep the premises safe and secure for customers and/or tenants. The nature and extent of that duty will generally depend on the nature of the premises, the foreseeable criminal activity on or near the premises, and the relationship of the parties.

Premises Liability

Premises liability involves the responsibility of property owners to maintain safe conditions for people coming on or about the property. Until a recent favorable decision of the Georgia Supreme Court, this was one of the most difficult types of cases to get past a defense motion for summary judgment. Now, however, while still difficult, more such cases are reaching juries and the most meritorious of such cases are resulting in significant verdicts.

Consider consulting Forrest B. Johnson & Associates. Our lawyers can help you get the compensation you are entitled to receive for your financial losses, as well as for your pain and suffering. Even if an insurance company offers to write you a check, it can help to have a lawyer review the proposed settlement. Insurance companies are notorious for making low settlement offers to unrepresented individuals. An attorney should be able to identify and preserve evidence about the premise’s liability to negotiate with the insurance company, to identify any additional people beyond the property owner, who may also be liable for damages, and to take any additional steps necessary to obtain a fair outcome.

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Property Injuries

Need Advice from Expert Lawyers?