Published on behalf of Pennsylvania Accident Law
Pennsylvania tort law allows for fair and reasonable compensation for those who are injured due to negligence of others. That includes commercial places like retail stores, malls, restaurants, hotels, etc. It also includes private individuals, such as homeowners, landlords, and the like.
Success of any accident and injury case, such as a slip and fall or trip and fall case, depends on the reasonableness or unreasonableness of the property owner’s actions.
Pennsylvania Fall Down Accident Law – Liability for Injury to Invitees
In general, those who are invited onto a property are afforded the highest protection. They are called “invitees.” For example, a shopping mall patron is an “invitee” of the mall, and a dinner party guest is an “invitee” of a homeowner.
Under Pennsylvania accident law, property owners must take reasonable steps to protect “invitees” from dangerous conditions of which an owner either had 1. direct knowledge or 2. should have known about under the circumstances.
The duty to “invitees” often includes the duty to conduct reasonable inspections of the property for defects and conditions an unsuspecting person might not uncover. For a shopping mall, this means maintenance inspections to find and clean up debris and water on the floor.
However, the duty required of a homeowner may be slightly different than that of a commercial establishment. Again, the key in any accident case is reasonableness/unreasonableness of the owner’s actions. Whether a homeowner must conduct a reasonable inspection of his or her property and at what intervals depends on the facts of the given case. In a recent Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court case, the court effectively found that a homeowner holding a yard or garage sale is not required to inspect the property for defects. Read about Couto-Pressman v. Richards et al. here.
Related fall accident content:
- Water on the Floor – Pennsylvania Slip & Fall Accident Law
- Pain and Suffering Damages in a Pennsylvania Slip and Fall Lawsuit
Philadelphia Slip & Fall Accident Lawyers
Schwartz & Blackman has been representing the injured and their families for over thirty years in slip and fall accident cases. Our firm offers a free consultation for all Pennsylvania and New Jersey injury and accident victims. Call now and ask for your free consultation. 215.925.4451
Schwartz & Blackman handles fall down accident cases in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey area:
- PA: Berks County, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia County, Allentown, Lehigh Valley, Norristown, Philadelphia
- NJ: Atlantic County, Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Camden, Cherry Hill, New Jersey shore cities
*This website does not provide legal advice. Every case is unique and it is important to get a qualified, expert legal opinion prior to making any decisions about your case. See the full disclaimer at the bottom of this page.