Virginia Premises Liability Attorneys
Firm works to hold careless property owners and managers accountable
Hosting someone on your property comes with a legal obligation to keep the premises safe. When this does not occur, a serious injury can result. At Pikrallidas & Probasco, we are accomplished lawyers who advocate for victims in premises liability claims throughout northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Our firm has offices in Fairfax, Manassas, Centreville and Front Royal to serve clients hurt in falls, dog bites, criminal assaults and other incidents that can be traced to the negligence of a property owner or manager.
Types of premises liability claims
Our firm handles a full range of premises liability lawsuits on behalf of Virginia and Washington, D.C. residents, including matters arising from the following:
- Slip and fall incidents — Businesses and homeowners must remove or mark hazards that could cause a visitor to slip and fall. This might require a supermarket to clean up a spill quickly or a homeowner to remove ice from their sidewalk in a timely manner. Broken steps, loose floorboards and cracked pavement could also lead to a harmful incident. After reviewing the circumstances in your case, we can advise you as to the likelihood of a successful negligence claim against the property owner.
- Dog bites — Nearly everyone believes that their pet is safe. However, dogs can react badly when their owner invites a guest into their home. If you required medical care after an animal attack when you were visiting someone else’s residence, our firm will seek relief through a premises liability claim.
- Injuries caused by inadequate security — Businesses and organizations who are expecting a large group of people to congregate on their premises need to implement effective security and crowd-control measures. Failure to install proper lighting or hire guards could lead to a physical assault. Even if no one has any criminal intent, pushing and shoving at a crowded event might trigger serious injuries.
- Accidents caused by falling merchandise — When a store does not place merchandise securely on a high shelf, it could drop and trigger a significant head injury.
Virginia’s contributory negligence law prevents plaintiffs from recovering damages if they bear any fault at all for the incident in which they were hurt. This means that if you fall on a wet floor inside a store, you cannot collect payment if a jury finds you were slightly to blame because you were looking at your phone when the incident occurred. Property owners and their insurance companies work hard to pin fault on the victim in these cases, so it is especially important to hire a personal injury lawyer who can effectively counter their defenses.
Required elements of a personal injury lawsuit
Plaintiffs seeking compensation in a premises liability claim must prove that the following four elements exist:
- Duty of care — A property owner owes a duty of care to someone who is permitted to be on their premises. However, trespassers usually are not able to collect damages.
- Lack of reasonable safety measures — Many premises liability claims hinge on whether the defendant used reasonable care to prevent the type of incident that occurred.
- Proximate cause — The alleged negligence on the part of the property owner or manager must have led directly to the plaintiff’s injury.
- Damages — Presenting evidence regarding the specific injuries and medical expenses related to the incident is critical to maximizing a jury award or settlement.
Whatever brought on your premises liability claim, you can count on us to battle so that you can obtain the payment you deserve for your healthcare treatment, rehabilitation costs and lost income, along with the pain and suffering you endured.
Contact a Virginia premises liability lawyer to schedule a free consultation
From northern Virginia offices in Fairfax, Manassas and Centreville, as well as our Shenandoah Valley location in Front Royal, Pikrallidas & Probasco advocates on behalf of injury victims in premises liability claims. We serve clients in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. For a free initial consultation regarding your claim, please call 703-267-2600 or contact us online. Hablamos español.