The house of a New Jersey resident may be considered his or her castle, but the law is quite specific about the fact that every property owner is responsible for the safety of anybody who visits his or her property. This brings forth the concept of premises liability, which means that property owners will have to compensate anybody who suffers injury on the property, whether the injured is an invited guest or not, irrespective of whether the property is residential or commercial. This is especially true if the injury has been caused by negligence on the owner's part to address the dangerous conditions that exist on his or her property. In that case, the court may end up awarding the injured person a sizable amount of compensation at the owner's expense.
Personal injury relating to premises liability may arise under a wide range of circumstances, such as a simple slip-and-fall accident caused by a defective sidewalk or a damaged staircase, as well as more serious, even fatal, injuries caused by dangerous conditions. These dangerous conditions include fire, explosion, broken windows, etc.
Take, for instance, the recent case of an 11-year-old girl from Bergenfield, who had recently been injured when her leg got caught in the escalator at Macy's. Thankfully, the extensive injury that she suffered was not fatal, and doctors have managed to use the advanced free-flap surgery mechanism to save her leg from amputation. Her family has sued Macy's for $10 million in damages on the grounds of premises liability.
While premises liability matters may often be settled out of court, there is always the chance that the negotiations will fail and the case will end up in court. That is why an experienced legal professional who specializes in personal injury and premises liability matters may be able to help the person prepare for a trial. The Bergenfield case is not unusual. Many other similar cases take place on a regular basis all across the United States, including in New Jersey and its surrounding areas.
Source: NJ.com, "Bergenfield girl injured by Paramus escalator expected to walk after rare surgery"