Hurt On A Business Premises

Were You Hurt on Business Premises?

Under Texas law, business owners conducting business with customers on their property have the legal obligation to provide reasonable protection from injuries and uphold certain safety standards, including keeping walkways free of obstructions, performing proper maintenance on important fixtures like elevators and appliances, and repairing loose flooring.

Premises liability cases are often referred to as invitee injury law since stores and other businesses invite their patrons, the invitees, onto their premises in order to conduct business. Building codes, state laws, and safety guidelines have been put in place over the years to protect the public. Though many accidents are easily preventable if businesses focus on keeping their spaces safe for both customers and employees, accidents still happen on an all too frequent basis and even represent a public health problem due to the high medical bills accompanying hospital visits and treatment.

Cases involving gross negligence or misconduct on the part of the business or property owner can result in significant punitive damages, as well as compensatory damages for the victim’s medical bills, emotional distress, physical pain, and financial losses.

Texas Premises Liability Lawyer Stephen Boutros Has Earned Thousands of Dollars for His Clients

Though the responsibility to maintain safety is on the business owners, larger retail stores can often afford a team of insurance defense lawyers who will put together a case that blames the victim and denies any liability. When facing these powerful defense teams, some lawyers push their clients into accepting low settlement offers. Stephen Boutros, however, believes that victims deserve more. A premises liability accident can have severe consequences on the rest of a victim’s life, and that victim deserves a lawyer who will push for the full compensation to which they’re entitled by law.

By litigating these cases against even the largest insurance companies in the world, Texas Premises Liability Lawyer Stephen Boutros forces property owners to acknowledge their responsibility in keeping the public safe and out of harm’s way.

No attorney’s fees unless you recover from your claim

Texas premises liability cases require the plaintiff to prove that the business owner knew (or should have known about the condition that threatened safety through reasonable inspection) and failed to correct that condition before an invitee injury occurred. As a result, these cases are complex and require thorough knowledge of the law. Texas Premises Liability Lawyer Stephen Boutros can help you determine if you have a strong case and what your next best step should be.

The premises liability injury law firm of Stephen Boutros, LTD., in Houston, Texas, provides serious representation for people injured in retail store accidents resulting from falling objects, insufficient security, parking lot accidents, and unclear warnings about serious safety hazards. Slipping and falling on slick floors alone results in millions of emergency room visits each year. We will examine every aspect of your case and help determine which party or parties to hold responsible: the property manager, the renter or lessee of a retail space, or the property owner.

I have the experience and knowledge of the legal obligations under Texas invitee injury law to investigate your accident and determine the extent of liability. By following strict case law interpretation of property owner liability, we are often able to show that the property owner had a duty to warn customers about a potential hazard.

We provide effective representation for invitee injury and premises liability cases such as:

  • Falling objects from store shelves
  • Injury from slipping on spilled products
  • Bike and pedestrian accidents in parking lots
  • Assault injuries due to insufficient security
  • Hazardous or unsafe walkways
  • Injuries in construction areas

What to do if you’ve been injured on business premises

If you’ve suffered an accident due to a business owner’s negligence or misconduct and were there on the property lawfully, it’s important to first look after your own health by seeking medical treatment for your injuries and following the advice of your medical care professionals. If you’re able, collect names and phone numbers from witnesses to the accident. Take pictures of your injuries and the area where the accident occurred (or ask a witness to take them for you). During and after your recovery, save any bills or accident reports that you receive and write a detailed account of the events that lead to your accident while the details are fresh in your mind. The final step is to hire a Texas Premises Liability Lawyer and let them pursue your case to the full extent of the law. Claims should be filed within two years of your injury.

What could prevent you from receiving full compensation

Consulting a Texas Premises Liability Lawyer can help you determine if you should pursue your case. There are several reasons plaintiffs fail to receive any compensation or full damages for their injuries, and these include:

  • Not being on the premises lawfully, which for a business might include time outside of their normal retail hours. Under Texas law, a plaintiff’s classification at the time of the injury determines the level of duty owed to them in premises liability cases. Trespassers, therefore, are not entitled to the same rights under the law as invitees.
  • Being partially responsible for (or contributing to) your own accident. A plaintiff who was texting instead of paying attention to their surroundings will not be treated the same as one who was alert.
  • Being injured before the manager or business owner had a reasonable amount of time to repair the potentially dangerous condition that led to your accident. For example, if milk has just been spilled on the floor of a grocery store and you slip and fall immediately after the spill occurred, the store did not have adequate time to mop up the spill or place a caution sign to warn you of the danger.
  • Misusing property. If you were not handling an item or behaving in a way consistent with your own safety, the property owner can avoid responsibility for your injury.
  • Ignoring the potential for a dangerous condition. If the business has a sign that warns of a hazardous condition but you ignore that sign, your awareness, referred to “assumption of risk” could work in favor of the defense.
  • Ignoring “open and obvious” dangerous conditions that a reasonable person would see and avoid. To illustrate, several courts have deemed that a ladder on the retail floor should be open and obvious to customers.

If the defense can prove the existence of one of those scenarios, the victim may not receive compensation for their injury.

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Free consultation about your Invitee Injury Case

I handle all invitee injury cases on a contingency fee basis. I cover the cost of independent investigators, insurance specialists, and medical consultants I rely on to help us prepare the strongest case possible for a fair settlement or to win in court, when necessary. You will not pay attorney’s fees for my services unless you receive money in a settlement or jury verdict.

At Stephen Boutros, Ltd, we have a successful track record of winning both large settlements and successful outcomes for cases that went to trial. If you or your loved one have suffered an invitee injury, it’s time to seek compensation for those injuries and the emotional distress an accident can put on the entire family. Hold the business that was responsible for your accident accountable for their gross negligence or misconduct. Fight for the justice you deserve with Texas Premises Liability Lawyer Stephen Boutros on your side. We put our knowledge and experience to work to get you the damages you need to put your accident behind you.

Contact me to schedule a free consultation today.

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