Georgia Premises Liability Laws

Georgia premises liability law makes the person who owns property or premises responsible for injuries sustained by other individuals on the premises. If the owner is negligent in maintaining the property or removing hazards in a timely manner, he or she may be responsible for compensating an injured party.

Premises liability cases can be very complex, with many courts favoring the premises owner. If you have been injured due to the property owner’s negligence, contact The Law Office of J. Lee Webb. Our attorneys will carefully investigate your case to determine if you have a claim. We can then file your complaint and represent your case in court.

Under premises liability law, the court must determine if the injured party was an “invitee,” “licensee,” or “trespasser.” The property owner’s duty to the injured party varies based on how the injured party is classified.

An invitee is defined as a person who is invited to enter or remain on the property or premises for business or commercial purposes. This invitation can be implied, such as a store that is open for customers to enter. The premises owner is responsible for the highest level of care for an invitee.

The premises owner must take reasonable care to warn or protect invitees from harm. In some cases, such as at a grocery store, the owner may have a duty to periodically inspect the store for hazards, such as spilled merchandise or wet floors caused by leakage or water being tracked into the store.

A licensee is someone who is invited onto a property for a non-business purpose, such as a social guest. To establish negligence in this case, the injured party must show that the property owner knew about the hazardous condition, failed to make the condition safe or warn the licensee of the risk, or that the licensee did not know about the condition and risk involved.

A trespasser is someone who enters the premises without an invitation. If the premises owner is unaware of the presence of trespassers, he or she has no duty to warn the trespasser of any hazardous conditions on the property. However, if the premises owner does know about trespassers on the property, he or she must exercise ordinary care in warning the trespasser of the hazardous conditions.

If you are interested in learning more about Georgia premises liability law, contact the attorneys at The Law Office of J. Lee Webb today.You’ll be glad you did.