Premises Liability
GLG’s lawyers have a track record of obtaining significant results in premises liability cases. We have successfully handled cases in various areas of premises liability, including injuries caused to tenants and guests by third parties on the property, injuries caused by dangerous conditions on the property, and injuries caused by negligently or fraudulently constructed homes.
Property owners, management companies, and security companies may be liable for criminal acts committed against tenants or guests on the property. Examples of such cases are attacks committed on apartment complex property, shopping mall, hotel, restaurant, and other commercial property grounds, including murders, assaults, rapes, and other violent crimes. In such cases, there may be liability if the property owners, management companies, or security companies failed to meet their duties to enact reasonable security measures to protect the victim, including providing adequate security guards, surveillance cameras, and proper lighting and fencing.
GLG’s lawyers have handled numerous premises liability cases of this type. We recently obtained an $825,000.00 settlement on behalf of a young woman who was raped in her own apartment by an intruder who was able to gain access to the apartment building due to inadequate security. We also obtained a $700,000.00 settlement for the family of a teenager who was shot and killed outside of his apartment building. In order to prevail on such premises liability cases you need to prove that there was a heightened foreseeability criminal acts. In the District of Columbia, this can be done by obtaining the CAP Index, which shows the nature and frequency of particular categories of crimes within a defined radius of the location of the incident.
Property owners must also maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition and warn visitors of hazardous conditions. When a property owner fails to meet these duties and visitors suffer injuries due to slip and falls and other incidents relating to improper construction, design or maintenance, then the property owner may be liable for damages. Such cases typically occur on public property and in retail stores, residential and workplace environments, and various other settings with defects and uneven and slick surfaces. Unfortunately, individuals often suffer catastrophic injured during falls that could have been avoided if property owners had corrected or warned against dangerous conditions on the property. Mr. Grenier recently obtained a very substantial confidential settlement on behalf of a client who suffered severe and debilitating injuries when a 300 pound glass door at a retail store fell on her as she opened it.
Premises liability may also exist when negligent or fraudulent home construction and repairs lead to properties with toxin-producing materials and harmful molds. Mr. Grenier has successfully represented numerous clients whose dream of home ownership has been ruined by the deceptive or negligent practices of homebuilders and home repair contractors. In fact, he won a $1.4 million verdict against residential builder Toll Brothers, arising out of the use of a defective exterior cladding material known as EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System).
The laws governing premises liability claims can be complex. GLG’s lawyers will be happy to discuss your particular rights and remedies during a free initial consultation.