Have you been injured in an accident on someone else’s property in St. Joseph, Michigan? Call Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers at (269) 529-9377 today to schedule a free consultation. You may be entitled to compensation, and our experienced St. Joseph premises liability lawyers can help you maximize your recovery.
We fight for the injured, never the insurance company. We’re a team of award-winning Michigan trial lawyers with over 25 years of experience fighting for clients in high-stakes, high-value personal injury cases. As passionate advocates for justice, we’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars in life-changing monetary awards for clients just like you.
Why Choose Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers for Help With a Premises Liability Claim in St. Joseph, MI?
When you have one shot at recovering compensation after an accident at someone else’s home, on public property, or at a local business in St. Joseph, MI, you have to make the most of it. The property owner and their insurer will be ready to fight you every step of the way. Choosing Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers shows them you won’t be walking away or backing down until they make things right.
Our St. Joseph personal injury lawyers focus on providing client-focused legal representation that packs a punch and makes a difference. We’re local attorneys who are genuinely invested in protecting the rights and best interests of our neighbors when they get hurt.
Attorney Nate Harrington has earned multiple honors and awards in the legal community for his dedicated representation, including:
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America
- Michigan Association for Justice Pacesetter
- Michigan Super Lawyers
- Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiffs Trial Lawyers
Our top-tier reputation stems from legal representation that’s calm, prepared, and focused on each client’s unique needs and best interests. We take time to build long-lasting relationships built on trust and transparency.
There’s no cost to discuss your premises liability case with our award-winning team. Contact us today to schedule your initial case review with an experienced St. Joseph personal injury attorney.
Understanding Premises Liability Laws in Michigan
Premises liability laws require property owners to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. If an owner fails to take appropriate steps to keep their premises free from dangerous conditions or threats to visitor safety, they can be financially responsible for a guest’s personal injury or wrongful death.
However, this isn’t to say that a property owner in St. Joseph must guarantee that a guest or customer won’t be injured if they enter their land. Property owners owe different duties of care to different guests, depending on how the guest is classified under the law.
For the purposes of Michigan premises liability law, there are three categories that visitors can fall into: invitee, licensee, and trespasser.
- Invitees are owed the highest duty of care. These are individuals who enter property with express or implied consent, and whose visit benefits the owner’s business interests in some way. Owners are expected to inspect for hazards, conduct prompt repairs, and warn of known threats to safety.
- Licensees are owed a lesser duty of care. These are individuals who enter property with permission, but for social or personal reasons. Owners are expected to fix hazards of which they have actual or constructive knowledge, and to provide adequate warnings to known safety risks.
- Trespassers are people who enter property illegally, and they’re generally not owed a duty of care in Michigan. There is one exception – children who enter premises because of an attractive nuisance. Owners have a duty to protect children from hazards like swimming pools, hot tubs, and machinery.
If you get hurt on someone else’s property because the owner didn’t do enough to keep their premises in a safe condition, you can file a premises liability lawsuit to hold them financially responsible for your medical treatment, lost wages, rehabilitation, and harder-to-value suffering.
Types of Premises Liability Cases We Handle
Experience matters when you’re navigating a complex premises liability lawsuit. You’ll need to work with attorneys who know the local courts and insurance carriers, understand the unique laws that will impact litigation, and have a proven ability to hold negligent property owners accountable for their mistakes.
It’s why accident victims in St. Joseph turn to Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers for help with premises liability cases involving:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Trip and fall accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Dog bites and animal attacks
- Amusement park accidents
- Negligent security
- Falling objects
- Toxic exposure
- Fires and explosions
- Elevator and escalator accidents
If you’ve been injured on public property, at someone else’s home, or at a business in St. Joseph, call our premises liability attorneys and tell us your story. We can help you understand your legal options and explain how our experienced legal team can help you assert a powerful legal claim to hold the owner accountable for their negligence. We offer a free consultation, so contact us today.
What’s My St. Joseph Premises Liability Claim Worth?
A lot goes into calculating what a personal injury case is worth. Important considerations include:
- The specific injuries you’ve suffered
- How long you’ll need medical treatment and need to make a full recovery
- How your injuries have affected your ability to work and earn an income
- Changes in your quality of life
- Claims that you share responsibility for your accident or injuries
- How old you are and your life expectancy
- The owner’s insurance benefits and applicable policy limits
- Steps you’ve taken to mitigate your injuries
Claims featuring more serious injuries often result in higher settlements and jury awards. Any injury can disrupt your life and cause considerable pain, however, so it’s important to work with an attorney who can help you understand what your claim is worth and work toward recovering full compensation from those at fault.
What Damages Can Be Awarded to St. Joseph Accident Victims?
As the plaintiff in a premises liability lawsuit in Michigan, you’ll have the ability to recover two different compensatory damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages help with the objective costs of your accident and injury, such as:
- Medical treatment
- Lost income
- Disability
- Property damage
- Rehabilitation
Non-economic damages compensate for harder-to-value struggles, such as:
- Chronic pain
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Pain and suffering
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
The damages available in your case will depend on the nature of your injuries and the circumstances surrounding the accident. An experienced premises liability attorney can evaluate your losses and work to recover the full compensation available under Michigan law.
Can Shared Fault Affect My Premises Liability Settlement in Michigan?
If the property owner or its insurance company argues that you contributed to your accident, your compensation may be reduced based on your share of fault. Under Michigan’s comparative fault rules, a person who is partially responsible for their injuries may still be able to recover damages.
However, if you are found more at fault than all other responsible parties (more than 50%), you may be unable to recover non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Premises Liability Attorney in St. Joseph?
Our premises liability attorneys in St. Joseph handle claims on a contingency fee basis. Pay nothing until we’ve won compensation for you. Our fees are entirely dependent on your case results; we receive a pre-agreed-upon percentage of your monetary award.
Every case is different, which is why we discuss fees upfront before any documents are signed. If we don’t win, you pay nothing.
What’s the Statute of Limitations for Premises Liability Lawsuits in Michigan?
Michigan imposes a three-year statute of limitations on most premises liability cases. This gives you three years from the date you got hurt to sue the property owner. Once the statute of limitations runs out, you’ll lose the ability to demand compensation for any damages you’ve suffered.
Schedule a Free Case Review With an Experienced St. Joseph Premises Liability Lawyer
A business owner, government agency, or homeowner in St. Joseph, MI, didn’t keep their premises in a reasonably safe condition. A hazard existed, and now you’ve gotten hurt. It’s important to hold them accountable. Southwest Michigan Injury Lawyers can help.
Our St. Joseph premises liability attorneys have 25+ years of combined experience fighting for accident victims and families in Southern Michigan. We’re award-winning litigators who don’t give up when insurance companies and property owners try to push our clients around. Hard-hitting legal representation has led to tens of millions of dollars in meaningful financial awards.
Discover how we can help you after an accident on someone else’s property by contacting our office to arrange a free case review. We’re here to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
