Beverly Hills Premises Liability Attorneys

How Does Premises Liability Work in Beverly Hills, CA?

If you were injured on someone else’s property, you may be understandably trying to figure out if you have a case for recovering damages. Suffering injuries on another party’s property does not automatically entitle you to compensation in California, however. 

To win a premises liability case and secure compensation in Beverly Hills, you must be able to establish several elements. First, you must prove that the defendant owned, leased, occupied, or controlled the property. Then, you must show they owed you a duty of care at the time of the accident. Property owners and operators owe the highest duty of care to invitees, who enter a property for business purposes that mutually benefit both parties, such as customers in a store. Licensees are individuals allowed to enter the property for their own purposes, such as social guests. For licensees, owners are expected to fix known dangers and provide reasonable warnings but are not required to regularly inspect the property. Property owners and operators owe the lowest duty of care to trespassers who enter a property without any right or permission. Still, property owners and operators must make an effort to warn trespassers about known dangerous conditions if their presence can be reasonably anticipated.

Put simply, recovering compensation in a premises liability case tends to be much more straightforward if you were injured while visiting a property as an invitee or licensee. If you are confused about whether a property owner owed you a duty of care, we encourage you to discuss your situation with our Beverly Hills premises liability attorneys.

Next, you must be able to show that the defendant was negligent in the use or maintenance of the property. Negligence is established by demonstrating that the property owner failed to exercise reasonable care to keep the property safe. This includes failing to repair hazardous conditions, not providing adequate warnings about potential dangers, or not conducting regular inspections to identify risky conditions. The standard of "reasonable care" is somewhat subjective and can vary depending on the specifics of the situation, but in most cases, you will need to establish the defendant knew or reasonably should have known about the safety hazard. If they did not know about the dangerous condition and could not have reasonably found out about it prior to your injury, you may not necessarily have a strong case.

You must show the dangerous condition directly led to your injuries. The simple existence of a safety hazard is not enough: You must demonstrate you suffered damages due to the defendant’s negligence. These damages can range from medical bills and lost wages due to missed work to emotional distress and pain and suffering. 

You do not have to build your premises liability case alone! Our team at Carpenter & Zuckerman knows what goes into a successful claim and can provide seasoned, compassionate guidance.