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Premises Liability & Unsafe Property

Hurt on Someone Else’s Property?

Onx Law represents people hurt on unsafe property. Owners and managers are generally expected to keep their property reasonably safe — and when they don’t, people can be seriously hurt.

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240-9-ONX-LAW

(01) — Overview

Onx Law represents people hurt on unsafe property. Owners and managers are generally expected to keep their property reasonably safe — and when they don’t, people can be seriously hurt.

Premises liability covers more than slips and falls. Injuries can happen at a pool, in an elevator, beneath a falling shelf or fixture, during a fire, or after exposure to something toxic.

We’ll evaluate your case, identify who controlled the property, and put the right strategy, legal team, and resources behind a claim for the full impact of your injuries.

(02) — What makes it different

What Makes Property Injury Cases Different

A property injury may come from a single moment or from a maintenance problem that was ignored for months. What caused the injury, who knew about it, and who was responsible for fixing it all matter.

In many states, the duty a property owner owes can also depend on why you were there — as a customer, a social guest, or someone without permission, for example. Other states apply a general duty of reasonable care, so the details of your visit matter.

Common causes

  • 01Swimming Pool Injuries
  • 02Falling Objects
  • 03Elevator and Escalator Injuries
  • 04Fires and Smoke Injuries
  • 05Toxic or Chemical Exposure
  • 06Collapsing Balconies or Decks
  • 07Electrical Hazards
  • 08Unsafe Doors and Gates
  • 09Inadequate Maintenance

(03) — Evidence that matters

What the Owner Knew, and When

Property injuries often turn on what the owner knew. Complaints, prior incidents, inspection reports, and repair requests can show that a hazard was known and left unaddressed.

Conditions change quickly once someone is hurt, so photographs and an early request to preserve records matter.

Evidence worth saving:

  • Photos and video of the hazard and the area
  • An incident or accident report
  • Prior complaints and repair requests
  • Inspection and maintenance records
  • Pool, elevator, or fire safety records
  • Names and contact details of witnesses
  • Medical records, bills, and receipts

(04) — Who may be responsible

Who controlled the property matters.

At a shopping center or apartment complex, several companies may share responsibility for the same space.

(05) — What compensation may include

What a Premises Liability Claim May Cover

Depending on the facts and the state’s law, compensation may include:

  • Medical bills, past and future
  • Lost income and reduced ability to earn
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life
  • Future medical care and rehabilitation
  • Scarring or disfigurement

What’s available depends on the facts and the state’s law. For example, Maryland caps noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering. No particular result can be promised.

(06) — What to do next

What Should You Do After an Injury on Someone’s Property?

01

Get Medical Attention

Get care promptly and tell your provider how the injury happened. Some injuries, including those from smoke or chemical exposure, may not show symptoms right away.

02

Document the Condition

Photograph the hazard and the area around it — a broken gate, a fallen fixture, a faulty door — before it’s repaired or removed.

03

Report the Incident

Notify the owner, manager, landlord, or business. Ask that an incident report be prepared and request a copy if possible.

04

Preserve Evidence

Keep your clothing, receipts, photos, and any written communication, and write down the names of anyone who saw what happened.

05

Talk to an Attorney

An attorney can help identify who controlled the property, request maintenance records and video, and evaluate your options.

(07) — State-specific considerations

How each state weighs fault.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, exceptions apply, and how a rule affects you depends on the facts of your case.

(08) — The Onx approach

Hurt on Unsafe Property?

Every case is evaluated individually. Depending on what yours needs, Onx Law may handle the matter directly, work with co-counsel, or connect you with trusted counsel when doing so better serves your case.

Get Onx On It
  1. 01

    Listen

    Tell us what happened, in your own words — online or by phone, in English or Spanish. Every case starts with understanding the people involved.

    Hands holding a phone beside an open laptop
  2. 02

    Evaluate

    An attorney reviews the facts, the injuries, the insurance, and the law that applies, to determine what your case actually needs.

    Monica Washington Rothbaum reviewing a file in her office
  3. 03

    Build the Right Team

    We put the right legal team and resources around your case. Onx may handle it directly, work with co-counsel, or connect you with carefully vetted counsel whose location, experience, or resources better serve it.

    An Onx Law notebook and a pen on a desk
  4. 04

    Move the Case Forward

    Disciplined case management, data, and technology keep the work organized and moving, while legal judgment sets the strategy — and you’re kept informed along the way.

    An orderly desk with a laptop, a notebook and a pen
  5. 05

    Pursue the Outcome

    We pursue the resolution your case supports — through negotiation or, when it’s needed, in court — so you can focus on your recovery.

    A resolution strategy in a case file beside a laptop showing an offer evaluation

(09) — Questions

Frequently asked questions.

General information only, not legal advice. Every situation is different, so the best answer starts with a conversation.

Ask us directly

  • It can. In many states, the duty owed depends on whether you were a customer, a guest, or someone without permission, while other states apply a general standard of reasonable care. Some states also apply special rules when a hazard, like an unfenced pool, attracts children.

  • Often, a claim involves showing that the owner or manager knew about the dangerous condition, or should reasonably have discovered and fixed it. Maintenance logs, inspection records, prior complaints, and video can help show how long a problem existed.

  • It depends on who controlled the area and what the lease and local law require. Landlords are often responsible for common areas and for repairs they agreed or were required to make, while a tenant may be responsible for areas under its control.

  • Pool injuries can involve missing fences or gates, broken drain covers, slippery decks, poor supervision, or unsafe water conditions. Depending on where it happened, the property owner, a homeowners association, a hotel, or a pool service company may share responsibility.

  • Exposure injuries can take time to appear and to connect to their source. Keep your medical records, note when symptoms began, and save any inspection reports, complaints, or notices you received about the property.

(10) — More practice areas

Other ways we can help.

All practice areas

(11) — Next step

You focus on recovery. We’ll help with the rest.

An unsafe property can affect your health, your work, and your independence. Onx Law can help you understand what happened, identify who controlled the property, and determine what options may be available.

Schedule a consultation
240-9-ONX-LAW