A woman broke her ankle at the Georgia Dome when she was directed by a security guard to a shorter line and then fell over a barricade. She recovered over $ 200,000.00 in damages, and was held partially responsible in the incident since she had been drinking. The law that governs these types of cases in Georgia is called Premises Liability. Similarly, these same Premises Liability laws apply in Canton, GA to retailers for shoppers in their stores.
For example, retailers can be held responsible for slip and fall in their stores, or if an item falls off a shelf in a store and strikes a customer. I had a similar case against a retailer where my client was standing in the toy isle and was struck in the head by a large box with a very heavy toy item that had been improperly stocked on the shelf of the store. My client suffered head injuries, frequent headaches, lost wages, pain and suffering, and her husband had losses of consortium. The retailer was held responsible and settled for an undisclosed amount.
You can read more about the woman who injured her ankle at the Georgia Dome. Although in this case the Defendant was the security company, the Georgia Dome could have been held responsible in a similar fashion for Premises Liability if it was found that the Georgia Dome was at fault for not keeping its premises safe for invitees or guests on the premises. As discussed in the earlier case against the retailer, the retailer was held responsible for not keeping its premises safe for its invitees and guests, and, therefore, acknowledged liability and paid for my client’s past, present, and future damages.
When you go into a store, visit a venue, go to a restaurant, or visit any establishment that holds itself out to the public and you are a guest or invitee to such venue, that venue is held responsible for keeping its premises safe for you and your loved ones. If you are injured on such a premises, then it is called Premises Liability and the venue could be held responsible for not keeping the premises safe for its invitees and guests. Premises Liability cases in Georgia are also commonly referred to as Slip and Fall cases. Not all Premises Liability cases, as in the Georgia Dome case and in the case that I described earlier, are Slip and Fall cases, but all Slip and Fall cases fall under the Georgia Law of Premises Liability.
A Slip and Fall cases is more typical when you have a case, for example, where a person is washing their hands in a public restroom and goes to dry their hands and in the process water is put on the floor, and the person subsequently slips and falls on that water and injuries result. Just because the injury happens in a public place in this fashion does not mean that the establishment is automatically liable. If, however, the person can show that the placement of the hand dryer was in a proximity that the establishment knew or should have known that water would accumulated on the floor after someone washed their hands, then the establishment could be held responsible for the slip and fall that resulted. Similarly, when you go into a store and you see signs of caution that the floor is wet, the establishment is trying to put you on notice that there is a hazard of a slip and fall. Again, just because an establishment places these warnings signs on the floor, however, does not automatically absolve the establishment from liability.
If you or a loved on has been a victim of a Slip and Fall or some other Premises Liability, then please feel free to contact us for a free consultation at any or all of the following means by phone at (770) 865-8654, or (813) 363-6664, by email at juliericelaw@outlook.com, or Contact Us on our website or here on our blog and we’ll be glad to assist you. Take care when on any premises in Canton, GA.