How to Avoid Premises Liability Lawsuits During the Holidays

The holidays are anything but happy when you are either injured on someone else’s property, or you’re a property owner coping with a premises liability lawsuit. As a property owner, you are responsible for maintaining a reasonably safe space for guests and customers. Failing to keep your property safe from significant hazards can land you in legal hot water over the holiday season and cost you money.

How can you protect yourself from premises liability lawsuits during the holiday while protecting your guests from potential safety hazards? The personal injury team at Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. can help you protect your property and legal rights. We have tips to help you make it through the holiday season unscathed.

What Is a Premises Liability Lawsuit, and Are You at Risk?

Premises liability is an area of law that focuses on giving accident victims a legal remedy when they sustain significant injuries on someone else’s property. When filing a premises liability claim or lawsuit against a careless property owner, an accident victim must prove that a property owner’s careless actions or lack of action resulted in an accident that injured them and caused financial losses.

All property owners in Georgia, including homeowners, landlords, retailers, and businesses, must keep their premises reasonably safe from hazards. Dangerous conditions on a property can arise from poor maintenance, building code violations, inclement weather conditions, and spills. Failing to address these dangerous conditions in a reasonable time frame can lead to significant accidents and the potential for a premises liability lawsuit from the injured party.

Georgia homeowners, businesses, and landowners risk facing expensive premises liability lawsuits if they fail to properly maintain their property or address known safety concerns that the owner should reasonably notice.

What Can You Do to Help Prevent Premises Liability Lawsuits During the Holidays

As a home or business owner, there are proactive steps you can take to protect yourself from premises liability lawsuits during the holiday season. Maintaining your property increases your property’s aesthetic value during the holiday season and protects the ones you love or do business with from disastrous injuries that can ruin the season’s spirit and hit you in the pocketbook.

Maintain your lawn and surrounding property

All property owners should “winterize” their home or business before the rush of the holiday season hits in full force. That means repairing apparent safety hazards and keeping your property in good repair. Falling leaves can create a picturesque scene from Thanksgiving through the end of the year. However, leaves slick with rain or dew can be a slipping hazard. Additionally, autumn leaves can mask signs of other dangerous safety hazards like cracks in the sidewalk, potholes, and other dangers. Sweep your sidewalks, driveways, and outdoor areas, freeing them from leaves, sticks, twigs, and other debris common in the fall and winter.

Be ready to combat snow and ice

Georgia is known for its generally mild winter temperatures and little to no snowfall. However, businesses still need to be prepared for potentially inclement weather. Snow and ice can hit the state, especially in the northern region. Business owners must be prepared with shovels or ice-melting chemicals to prevent slip-and-fall accidents on their property during poor weather. Georgia homeowners must also remember that when they shovel snow, they cannot dump snow on public roads, streets, or walkways.

Celebrate the season responsibly

Decorating for the holiday season can be fun. However, exercise caution and decorate responsibly. That means ensuring all your holiday decorations are safely secured and cannot fall or cause injuries. You should also cover or otherwise secure loose cords or strips of lights to prevent tripping. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list falls as the leading cause of traumatic head injury in the United States. Protect holiday guests, visitors, and customers from tripping hazards this holiday. Slip-and-fall cases are among the most common accidents that trigger premises liability cases.

Service your pool

With Georgia’s mild temperatures, many apartments, hotels, and private homes have a pool or spa. If you welcome guests or patrons to your property for the holidays, service your pool, hot tub, or spa. Keep it covered when not in use. If you have a pool open year-round, address puddles of water promptly to prevent potential slip-and-fall accidents.

Contact a Georgia Premises Liability Attorney this Holiday Season

Are you a property owner facing a premises liability lawsuit after an accident on your property? Are you a person who was injured on someone else’s property due to a hazardous condition? The Georgia legal team at Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. can help you regardless of your situation.

Contact our office today by calling (770) 205-8827. We can set you up with a free legal consultation.

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