Fairbanks Premise Liability Attorney

Injury from Unsafe Conditions in Alaska

If you have been injured on another person’s property due to unsafe or dangerous conditions, or you have lost a loved one due to unsafe or dangerous conditions, you deserve justice. When someone owns a piece of property, it is that person’s responsibility to make sure the area is safe for others. It doesn’t matter if the property is public or private. You have the right to expect that conditions on the property are safe, and the owner can be held responsible if you are injured. It’s important to contact a Fairbanks premise liability attorney as soon as possible for guidance and support.

Because of your accident and injuries, you may have missed work, and you may have medical bills to pay. If the injury put you out of work indefinitely, you may find yourself wondering where the next paycheck is coming from. On top of it all, the pain you experience can prevent you from enjoying life.

Unsafe conditions are also known as premises liability, and at Ringstad Law Office, P.C., we have more than 35 years helping Alaska families who have been affected by injury and loss due to the negligence of a property owner (or the owner of a dog or other dangerous animal). A Fairbanks premise liability attorney from our team can help you through this difficult time with the guidance and support you need and taking care of the legal aspects while you focus on healing.

Injuries Sustained on Another’s Property

If you have been injured on another person’s property, you could potentially be entitled to file a claim against the property owner. Property owners are required to ensure grounds are reasonably safe and free of hazards. Like any negligence personal injury action, you must establish that the property owner had a specific duty of care, that the duty of care was breached by the property owner, and that the breach of duty of care directly caused your injuries. Although we typically think of a slip and fall when we think of unsafe conditions—and many premises liability claims are for slip and falls—there are many other unsafe conditions which can lead to a claim, including:

• Construction site accidents are far too common among those who work in the industry as well as those who are simply walking by or through a construction site when the unthinkable happens. Falls from a height are common among construction workers, as well as being hit by falling objects, electrocution, and being trapped between two objects. Those walking through a construction site, could fall in a hole, have a heavy object fall on them or slip and fall over an item left in the walkway.
• Slip and fall accidents can occur on a slick or wet floor, trip hazards left in the walkways, defective sidewalks, poorly constructed stairways, poorly maintained flooring or stairwells, poorly lit stairways, or any walkway which is left in disrepair.
• Dog bites are a common cause of premises liability claims; according to the State of Alaska Epidemiology Bulletin, there were nine recorded dog bite deaths between 1991 and 2002, and 288 hospitalizations resulting from dog bites. Children were the group most likely to be bitten or attacked by an unknown dog or a pack of dogs. Only one of the deaths caused by a dog attack was from a family dog. Dog owners have a responsibility to ensure their dog is properly fenced or on a leash, unable to harm others.
• Falling objects which result in serious injury are more common than you might think, particularly in public retail stores. Inventory could be unevenly stacked or stacked too high. In an outdoor environment—including a residential home—the homeowner could have large tree branches fall and injure others.
• Injuries at a recreational event or sporting event are also more common than we imagine. Often, there is “fine print” on the purchased sporting event ticket, which can prevent an injured person from holding the stadium liable, although if the stadium failed to provide adequate security, you could hold them liable for injuries. Slip and falls at a recreational event can also occur, and the owner could be held liable for related injuries.
• Elevator accidents can occur when an elevator door closes on a person, when the elevator is stuck between floors for a significant length of time, when there is a defect in the design or manufacture of the elevator which leads to injury, or when a person falls down an unmarked, open elevator shaft. Escalators can have some of the same issues, particularly when there has been a spill which was not cleaned up in a timely manner. Those liable for elevator or escalator accidents with injuries include the owner of the building, the elevator or escalator maintenance company, the manufacturer of the escalator or elevator, or the installation company.
• Negligent security injuries can occur in a nightclub, a hotel or motel parking lot, a mall parking lot, a restaurant parking lot, or any number of other places. If there have been prior assaults or criminal activity in the area and the owner of the business neglected to increase security, they could be held liable. If an employee of the business committed the assault, the owner could also be held liable. There must be security measures taken, such as security cameras, night security guards, adequate lighting, and solid locks on hotel or motel rooms. If these issues are not properly addressed, the owner of the property may be held liable for the assault and resulting injuries.
• Swimming pool injuries can occur in a public pool, a pool at an amusement or water park or at a person’s home. Private pool owners are not bound by the same regulations regarding supervision that public pools are, however, if the private pool can be easily accessed by children, it must be properly fenced. Swimming pool accidents can include slip and falls on wet surfaces, diving board injuries, infections from dirty water, electrocutions and drownings.
• Injuries in a parking lot or parking structure can occur as a result of inadequate security, trip hazards, motor vehicle collisions with pedestrians, or the negligent operation of a motor vehicle by a parking lot attendant. For any of these accidents with injuries, the owner of the property may be held liable.