Premises Liability Attorney In Hattiesburg
When you visit a local small business in Hattiesburg or visit someone’s home, you have the reasonable expectation for the property to be safe, or at least for the property owner to warn you of any foreseeable safety issues on the property. However, some property owners fail in this responsibility, and lawful visitors suffer injuries. If you have been hurt on someone else’s property, you need to speak to a Hattiesburg premises liability lawyer right away.
Experienced Premises Liability Representation in Hattiesburg, MS
WaideLaw offers compassionate and responsive legal representation for a wide range of personal injury cases in the Hattiesburg area, including those that fall within the purview of premises liability law. Daniel Waide is a lifelong resident of Hattiesburg who grew up on a generational family farm where he learned the value of hard work. Today, he is actively involved in local youth sports programs and is a prominent figure in the Hattiesburg community.
Daniel Waide is the current executive committee chair for the employment law section of the Mississippi Bar, participates in local health initiatives, and strives to live the lessons taught in Isaiah 1:17, fighting for justice on behalf of the injured and the oppressed. When you are struggling in the aftermath of an injury due to a property owner’s negligence, WaideLaw can help you pursue accountability and compensation for your damages.
Understanding Premises Liability Laws in Mississippi
Hattiesburg is home to many thriving local businesses, including many family-owned restaurants and retail stores. Premises liability laws in Mississippi not only apply to commercial property owners to ensure the safety of clients and customers, but also to residential property owners to ensure the safety of lawful guests and other visitors.
All property owners in Hattiesburg have a responsibility to take care of their property and address foreseeable safety hazards as soon as they become aware of them. If a property owner notices any element of their property that could potentially harm a lawful guest or visitor, they are required to either fix the problem immediately or provide clear warnings to anyone who might encounter the hazard.
It is important to bear in mind that this duty of care extends only to those who have permission to enter the property. This can include individuals invited onto the property for the property owner’s purposes, such as neighbors, friends, and other guests, or those who have implied permission to enter the property for their own purposes, such as mail carriers and utility workers. Property owners do not owe a duty of care to trespassers or intruders.
Building Your Premises Liability Case in Hattiesburg
The first step in building a premises liability case in Hattiesburg is proving that you were lawfully present on the property when your injury happened. This means you must have had the property owner’s express or implied permission to enter the property. Once you have proven this, you then need to prove that the property owner is directly responsible for causing your injury due to their negligent care of the property.
Many premises liability cases pertain to slip-and-fall injuries. According to the National Safety Council, falls are a leading cause of accidental injuries and deaths in workplaces and in the home nationwide each year, and many of these incidents are preventable. In 2022 alone, more than 8.5 million people nationwide received emergency room treatment for falls.
Your Hattiesburg premises liability lawyer can gather the evidence you need to establish liability for your injury. If you can prove the property owner is responsible, it is possible to seek compensation for the economic and non-economic damages you suffered in the accident.
Claiming Compensation in a Premises Liability Case
It’s possible for a premises liability case to involve significant physical injuries. The victim may have suffered a slip-and-fall or experienced some other accident that resulted in a brain injury, broken bones, or a host of other possible injuries. In any personal injury case in Mississippi, the goal is for the plaintiff to prove fault for their damages and recover compensation from the defendant responsible for causing them.
After establishing liability for your damages, the next step in your case is claiming compensation for those damages. You may be eligible to claim more compensation than you initially expected, depending on the severity of the injuries you suffered. Your Hattiesburg premises liability lawyer can help you claim compensation for the economic and non-economic damages you suffered from the accident:
- You can seek compensation for any and all medical expenses incurred for your injuries. This includes the cost of any future treatment you need if you suffer a serious injury that will require ongoing care. Your Hattiesburg premises liability attorney can help you prove the full extent of the medical expenses resulting from the accident.
- You can seek compensation for lost income if you cannot work while you recover from your injuries. Additionally, some premises liability cases involve serious injuries that result in permanent disability. If this applies to your case, you may also have grounds to claim compensation for your lost future earning capacity.
- You can claim compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced. This may sound difficult to calculate, and Mississippi law limits pain and suffering compensation in most personal injury cases, but your Hattiesburg premises liability lawyer can assist you with maximizing this aspect of your case award.
The goal of any personal injury case in Mississippi is for the plaintiff to obtain the compensation they need to be as whole as possible again. Bear in mind that if you intend to file a personal injury case for premises liability but you are found to bear partial fault for your accident, you can still recover compensation under Mississippi’s pure comparative negligence rule, but you will lose a percentage of the case award equal to your fault percentage.
WaideLaw can assist you with every stage of your premises liability case. Trust us to gather the evidence needed to prove that the property owner’s negligence is the direct cause of your damages. We have the experience necessary to accurately calculate the damages you can include in your claim, and we will do everything we can to maximize your compensation. Reach out to our team as quickly as possible to start working on your case.
FAQs
What Is the Premises Liability Law in Mississippi?
The premises liability law in Mississippi establishes responsibilities for property owners with respect to those they invite onto their property as well as those with implied permission to enter their property.
The property owner must take appropriate care of the property, ensuring that any foreseeable safety hazards that could harm lawful guests and visitors are addressed immediately. A property owner could be found liable for damages if a lawful visitor is injured due to negligence.
How Much Compensation Can I Claim in a Premises Liability Case?
The amount of compensation you could claim in a premises liability case will depend on several factors. You may have grounds to claim compensation for your medical expenses and long-term medical treatment costs if you suffered a serious injury. You may also have grounds to seek compensation for lost income and lost earning capacity if you can no longer work, and the defendant is also liable for your pain and suffering.
Can Trespassers and Intruders File Premises Liability Claims for Slip-and-Fall Injuries?
Generally, no, trespassers and intruders cannot file premises liability claims for slip-and-fall injuries under Mississippi’s premises liability laws. These laws protect lawful guests and visitors. However, property owners may not set traps or intentionally cause harm to trespassers. Consult a Hattiesburg premises liability lawyer right away if you are unsure whether a property owner owed you a duty of care.
How Do I Prove Fault in a Premises Liability Case?
You can prove fault in a premises liability case by showing that the defendant failed to maintain a reasonably safe property and that this negligence directly caused your claimed damages. Success with any personal injury case in Mississippi requires proving fault based on a preponderance of the evidence, meaning the evidence must show the defendant is more likely than not responsible for causing the injury.
Why Should I Hire a Premises Liability Lawyer?
You should hire a premises liability lawyer because your case may be more complex than it appears at first. You could face disputed liability or an accusation that you are responsible for causing your own injury. You are more likely to succeed with your claim and more likely to maximize the compensation you win from the defendant if you hire a premises liability lawyer as quickly as possible after your accident.
WaideLaw can provide compassionate legal counsel after a slip and fall or any other injury on someone else’s property in Hattiesburg. Our firm takes time to develop an individualized legal strategy for each client we represent, and our goal in every case is to help our client maximize their recovery as much as state law allows. Contact us today and schedule your consultation with a Hattiesburg premises liability lawyer to learn how we can help with your case.
