Hannibal Premises Liability Lawyers Serving Marion County

If you sustain injuries due to a dangerous condition on someone else’s property in Hannibal, Marion County, you may be able to hold the property owner financially accountable through a personal injury lawsuit based on premises liability. Premises liability refers to a property owner’s or manager’s legal responsibility to make sure their property is free from hazards that could cause visitors harm.

Contact Holland Injury Law, LLC, for a free consultation about your case with one of our highly qualified premises liability lawyers serving Hannibal. We’ll help you understand your rights as a property visitor and discuss the compensation you could recover for your injuries.

Injuries Caused by Hazardous Property Conditions in Marion County

Premises liability cases can arise from several types of incidents, including slips and falls, falling objects, toxic material exposure, and inadequate security. Some of the most common types of injuries caused by hazardous property conditions in Hannibal include:

Head and traumatic brain injuries caused by striking your head on the ground or another surface after falling or by being struck on the head by a falling object
Spinal cord injuries caused by falling down stairs or falling on slippery surfaces in or outside of a building
Broken bones, particularly in the wrists, forearms, and collar, due to bracing yourself during a slip, trip, and fall incident
Soft tissue injuries, such as damage to the tendons, ligaments, and muscles around the knees and ankles caused by slipping and falling
Respiratory issues, neurological disorders, and certain types of cancer caused by exposure to toxic building materials, including asbestos and lead paint

Types of Property Visitors Recognized by Missouri Law

A key part of Missouri premises liability lawsuits is determining the type of property visitor you were when the accident occurred. Property owners owe visitors differing duties of care depending on what type of visitor they are. The duty of care refers to the lengths an owner must go to in order to make sure their property is safe.

The three types of property visitors recognized in Marion County are:

Licensees – These visitors are on the property for social reasons, such as guests at a residence. Property owners must take reasonable steps to remedy known hazards or warn licensees about them.
Invitees – These visitors are on the property for commercial reasons, such as customers in a store. Property owners owe them a higher standard of care by proactively inspecting their properties for hazards and taking steps to remedy them.
Trespassers – These are visitors on the property without the owner’s permission. Generally, property owners do not owe trespassers a duty of care other than to refrain from causing them intentional harm.

When Does a Property Owner Owe a Trespasser a Duty of Care?

Property owners typically only owe trespassers a duty of care under two specific circumstances.

The first is when the trespasser is a child who doesn’t understand the danger that the property poses. For example, if a child sees a swimming pool, they may attempt to access it without realizing they are putting themselves at risk of drowning.

The second is when the property owner knew or should have known that trespassers routinely access their property. If a property owner knows that people are entering their property without permission and doesn’t take steps to prevent that access, they may be liable for resulting injuries because their lack of action could be construed as allowing the visitors access to their property.

Who Could Be Liable for Your Injuries in Hannibal, Marion County?

In many cases, the owner can be held liable for injuries caused by a dangerous condition on their property. However, property owners aren’t the only parties who could be liable.

Property managers are another potentially liable party. These include tenants who lease the property they live on and businesses that lease storefronts. Depending on the fine print of the leasing agreements, these parties may be responsible for the upkeep of the property rather than the owners.

Additionally, third parties, like companies contracted for cleaning, snow and ice clearing, landscaping, and construction work, could be liable if they contribute to the incident in any way. For example, a cleaning company may not put out wet floor signs after mopping, or a landscaper may have left tools lying around that could be tripping hazards.

Evidence Used to Support Premises Liability Cases

Proving a premises liability case requires working with a lawyer who can gather strong supporting evidence.

Evidence our lawyers may collect in your Hannibal premises liability case includes:

Photographs of the property hazard that caused your injury
Security camera footage of the accident occurring
Statements from eyewitnesses who saw the property hazard or the incident
Expert witness testimony about the property hazard or your injuries
Medical records that detail your injury diagnosis and prognosis

Compensation Available to Property Hazard Victims in Hannibal, Missouri

After sustaining injuries in an incident on someone else’s property in Hannibal, you could seek compensation for the following:

Medical Costs – Past and future medical treatments, physical therapy, surgeries, and prescription medications for your injury
Lost Income – Wages lost because you were out of work recovering from your injury, or because your injury prevents you from working in the same capacity you once could
Pain and Suffering – Physical pain and emotional suffering caused by your injury, including chronic pain and psychological conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Permanent Disability – The impact your permanent disabilities caused by the incident have on your life, financially and otherwise

Statute of Limitations for Premises Liability Lawsuits

Missouri’s statute of limitations gives victims of dangerous property conditions five years to file personal injury lawsuits against the parties that contributed to their injuries. Acting quickly is important not only to protect your right to file a lawsuit but also because your lawyer will need to gather evidence of the dangerous property condition before the owner remedies it.

The sooner you begin working with a premises liability lawyer, the stronger your case will be because they’ll have an easier time gathering robust evidence.

How Our Premises Liability Lawyers Can Help

When you hire the Missouri premises liability lawyers at Holland Injury Law, LLC, to handle your Hannibal premises liability case, the first thing we’ll do is conduct a thorough investigation. This investigation is to identify the at-fault parties and collect the evidence needed to prove their liability.

We’ll then calculate your damages, which are the compensation being sought for your injuries. And we’ll draft a demand letter containing the incident details and the damages you’re seeking to submit to the at-fault party’s insurance company.

After we submit the demand letter, we’ll attempt to negotiate with the insurance company for a fair settlement. However, if the insurance company refuses to engage in good-faith negotiations, our team is prepared to take your case to court.

Contact Our Hannibal Premises Liability Attorneys Serving Marion County

If you sustained injuries caused by a hazardous condition on someone else’s property in Hannibal, Marion County, you need a lawyer who is tenacious on behalf of their clients and has the knowledge and resources to pursue the compensation you need.

At Holland Injury Law, LLC, we have over 30 years of experience handling premises liability cases and have recovered over $300 Million for our 7,000+ clients. We also approach each case with the philosophy of treating clients like family and with the respect they deserve, as evidenced by our 900+ positive Google reviews. Contact us today to get started with a free consultation.

LOOKING FOR A TRUSTED TEAM
TO REPRESENT YOUR CASE?

Email to request a free consultation.

Fields marked with an * are required