Mark Roman | September 4, 2017 | Premises Liability

Under premises liability laws, property owners are legally obligated to ensure visitors and guests are kept safe from preventable harm. Specifically, they have a duty to take reasonable steps in addressing potential hazards and ensuring dangerous conditions they knew or should have known about don’t cause harm to innocent victims. These laws can apply to all types of premises owners, including businesses open to the public and private residences.

When it comes to premises liability claims, victims can hold property owners liable for their injuries and damages when they are able to prove the property owner failed in some way to address potentially hazardous issues. Common examples of potential hazards that lead to preventable accidents include wet and slippery floors (which can cause slip and fall accidents), insufficient lighting, and dangerously stacked objects. These examples all illustrate hazards where victims’ injuries are caused directly by property owners’ facilities and / or products in those facilities. However, there are also situations where injuries can be caused by third parties through the negligence of premises owners – particularly when there is negligent or insufficient security.

Claims involving negligent or insufficient security can be brought by victims who are injured in attacks or assaults from third parties. These may include fights or assaults that take place at a number of locations, including:

  • Bars or nightclubs
  • Sports stadiums
  • Amusement parks
  • Concerts
  • Special events

Because premises liability claims are hinged on proving a property owner knew or should have known about potential hazards that posed risks to visitors and guests, claims involving negligent security, or inadequate security, must illustrate this point. For places like bars, nightclubs, and sports stadiums, for example, guests face a number of potential hazards – including those related to alcohol consumption and large groups of people.

When property owners know that nightclubs and bars are places where altercations and fights commonly occur, it becomes their duty to protect guests by taking reasonable measures to provide adequate and competent security. Property owners should also provide security under other circumstances, such as when order needs to be maintained during large events, when properties are located in high-crime areas, or when there is a verifiable history of fights, crime, and other altercations that endanger guests.

Although many premises should address these types of hazards by providing security, many property owners fail to do so – or provide inadequate security that fails to keep patrons and guests safe as it should. When victims suffer harm in altercations that could and should have been prevented had there been adequate security, they have a right to seek compensation for their injuries by holding the property owner accountable for their negligence.

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, our Clearwater personal injury attorneys are Board Certified Civil Trial Law Specialists by The Florida Bar – the highest level of recognition for an attorney’s competency and experience. With their insight and experience handling premises liability claims, victims who suffer harm while on another’s property – including bars, nightclubs, and other places where negligent security failed to protect them – can gain the support of proven advocates who know how to secure full and fair compensation.

Contact the Clearwater Premises Liability Law Firm of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today

For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a premises liability lawyer in Clearwater. We have convenient locations in Florida: St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.

We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg Law Office
840 Beach Dr NE Suite 202
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 787-2500

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Safety Harbor Law Office
202 9th Ave S Suite A-2
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 787-2500