When a person is injured on a Virginia property that is owned by another party, they might have cause for a premises liability lawsuit. However, it’s important to know about the different types of people who might be on a property. One of those might be a licensee.
What is premises liability?
A person who owns a property has a legal duty to keep up it clear of potentially dangerous conditions to prevent accidents that can result in personal injury. The landlord or manager of the property owes a duty of reasonable care to ensure the safety of people on the premises.
For example, if a person who is visiting the property and who was invited by a resident slips on a wet floor and suffers an injury, they could file a lawsuit against the property owner.
Who are the different types of people who might be on the property?
Different categories of people could be on the property when an accident occurs that results in an injury. However, some of these are legally allowed to be on the property while others are not. Invitees and trespassers are two examples. While invitees are people who have been invited onto the property, a trespasser is not legally allowed at all and has no business to be on the property.
Licensees are the third category of people who might be on the property. However, there are invited and uninvited licensees. An invited licensee is someone who enters a property for a specific purpose and who was invited to be there. The property owner is responsible for providing a reasonable duty of care to prevent a personal injury to these people. The property should be kept in a safe condition to prevent a potential accident.
An uninvited licensee is someone who enters a property of their own volition but not because they were invited for any specific purpose. However, unlike a trespasser, this person may have gotten permission from the owner to be on the property. As a result, the property owner is required to warn an uninvited licensee of any potentially dangerous condition on the property of which they should be aware. If the person suffers a personal injury on the premises, they could file a legal claim.