How Your Status as a Visitor Will Play a Role in Your Slip and Fall Case

When someone is injured as a result of a hazardous condition on someone’s property, it could lead to a slip and fall claim. However, before filing that claim, you must assess several factors. These factors could determine your ability to litigate such claims, and can even influence your compensation amount.
To assess such factors, it is in your best interest to speak with a personal injury attorney in Atlanta. An attorney will evaluate the level of liability, based on your status as a visitor. The five types of visitor statuses include:

Public invitee
Business invitee
Licensee through invitation
Uninvited licensee
Trespasser

Public and Business Invitees

If you are visiting a business, the business owner or property manager owes you a level of liability and care.
Public invitees are those who have been invited to the property to enjoy the property for public use – such as those invited to a public park. In such places, there is no intent to do business with the property owner.
Business invitees are specifically on a property to do business, and the business owner gains financially from their presence. For example, a person shopping at a grocery store is a business invitee. Business invitees make up a large majority of slip and fall claims in the United States. That is because business owners owe their patrons a certain level of safety. Therefore, business owners are required to correct, repair, and warn patrons of hazardous conditions. For example, if there is a spill on the ground, the owner must put up a sign that warns customers, so that they can avoid injury.

Licensee

Invited licensees are those who have been specifically invited by the property owner to visit the property – such as a homeowner inviting over a dinner party guest. This visitor enjoys the same level of protection as other types of invitees, and the owner is required to keep the premises safe.
Uninvited licensees are those who visit for their own convenience, but without a specific invitation, such as a door-to-door salesperson. There is not as strict of a duty of care required with uninvited licensees; instead, these individuals must refrain from endangering themselves.

Trespassers

This type of visitor status has no duty of care. The property owner is not required to provide them with a safe environment, because they have not been invited or licensed to enter the property. By entering on their own accord and without invitation, they are breaking the law.

Have You Been Injured On Someone Else’s Property?

If you’ve been injured due to neglect while on someone else’s property you need to speak with an experienced premises liability lawyer as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our office directly at 855.GA.INJURY or 404.991.5950 to schedule your free consultation.