Have you been injured on someone else’s property in Augusta, GA? Georgia law requires property owners to maintain their properties in safe condition for guests. Therefore, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your pain and suffering, lost earnings, and more.
Hawk Law Group has represented accident victims and families in Augusta for more than 30 years in personal injury cases including premises liability, Augusta slip and fall accidents, vehicle accidents, wrongful death claims, and more. We are committed to giving you the best legal representation possible as we pursue fair compensation for your injuries.
Contact our Augusta law office at (706) 722-3500 for a free case review with an Augusta premises liability lawyer today.
How Hawk Law Group Can Help with a Premises Liability Case in Augusta, GA
After a serious accident, you will likely count on an insurance company to pay your medical bills and lost wages while you recover. But what if the insurance company blames you for the accident or minimizes the severity of your injuries? What if it refuses to compensate you? You need an experienced advocate on your side.
Hawk Law Group was founded by Victor C. Hawk, a host of the call-in show LawCall. Our law firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars in our 30 years of practice. We want to put our experience and resources to work on your case.
You can count on our Augusta personal injury lawyers to:
- Listen to your story and give you the personal attention you deserve
- Investigate your accident, with the help of experts if necessary
- Evaluate the full range of your damages
- Negotiate on your behalf to seek a fair settlement offer
- Present your case to a jury if a settlement cannot be reached
Contact our law office in Augusta, Georgia, for a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer ready to go the extra mile.
What is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is an area of the law that holds property owners accountable for certain types of injuries on their property. Under Georgia law, property owners have a duty to keep guests safe.
They must take reasonable steps to warn about or correct hazards — and prevent third-party crimes. However, this does not mean that property owners, lessees, or property managers can be held responsible for all injuries on their property.
Property owners can only be held liable for injuries caused through negligence. These claims are notoriously complex because property owners owe different duties of care to different people, depending on their visitor classification.
What is My Premises Liability Case Worth?
There is no easy way to estimate the value of an injury case.
We will carefully assess the details of your claim, including:
- The severity of your injuries
- The strength of your evidence
- The insurance coverage available
- Whether you contributed to your injuries
- Whether you are able to return to work
- How your injuries will impact your future well-being, health, and quality of life
Contact the Augusta injury attorneys at Hawk Law Group for a free consultation to discuss what your case may be worth.
What Damages Are Available in a Premises Liability Case in Augusta, GA?
You are entitled to seek compensatory damages from a negligent property owner who caused you harm.
This includes compensation for your economic and non-economic losses, such as:
- Property damage
- Current medical bills
- Future medical expenses related to your injury
- Lost wages
- Disability or diminished earning capacity
- Other financial losses like domestic services, childcare, and modifications to your home or car
- Personal losses, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and more
While the insurance company may undervalue your claim, Hawk Law Group will work tirelessly to build the strongest case possible for the full value of your losses.
We Handle All Types of Georgia Premises Liability Cases
Hawk Law Group has decades of experience handling all types of premises liability cases.
Contact us if you or a loved one have been hurt in an accident involving:
- Dog bites
- Negligent security
- Dangerous conditions
- Inadequate lighting
- Swimming pool accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
Our experienced injury lawyers serving Augusta, GA, will fight back against the insurance company’s attempts to blame you for your accident or minimize your injuries. We are committed to holding property owners accountable when their negligence injures an innocent guest or customer.
How Do I Prove Premises Liability in Augusta, Georgia?
Premises liability is a subset of negligence. You must prove a property owner’s negligence caused your injury to recover compensation for your damages:
There are four key elements of negligence:
- The property owner owed you a duty of care.
- They breached their duty.
- This breach caused your injury.
- The injury resulted in damages.
There are several unique aspects to premises liability cases that injured parties should know before filing a claim. The first is the duty of care.
Visitor Classifications
O.C.G.A. § 51-3-1 defines the duties a property owner owes to various guests. Guests can be categorized as invitees or licensees.
Invitees are guests who are on a property for the property owner’s benefit, including business purposes. This includes guests, customers, contractors, and employees.
Licensees are people who are not “customers, servants, or trespassers.” Licensees are allowed to be on the property but not to benefit the property owner.
Property owners owe the highest duty to invitees. The property owner must generally inspect their property for dangers, repair property defects, and warn guests of dangerous conditions that cannot be fixed right away.
As a general rule, property owners only owe licensees a limited duty. They only have to warn licensees of known dangers on the property. They do not have to inspect for hazards or repair them for the benefit of a licensee.
Was the Hazard Known to the Property Owner?
Georgia premises liability law only holds property owners liable for hazards of which they had constructive or actual knowledge. This means the property owner saw or was told about the hazard, or the danger was present for long enough that they should have known about it.
If a reasonably prudent person would not have known about the hazard, the property owner can’t be held accountable. Proving a property owner knew or should have known about a dangerous condition can be challenging. An attorney can help.
Is the Property Owner a Landlord?
Georgia law defines two categories of landlords: those “in possession” and those “out of possession” or absentee. Absentee landlords have a lower duty of care to address defects.
A landlord that lives on the property or maintains substantial control and ownership has the same duty of care as a normal property owner. An absentee landlord is generally only liable for damages and injuries caused by failing to keep the property in repair.
How Long Do I Have to File a Premises Liability Lawsuit in Georgia?
In Georgia, you typically have just two years from the date of your accident to file a premises liability lawsuit. The same deadline applies to wrongful death claims. You may have a shorter deadline for claims against a government entity.
Contact the Augusta premises liability attorneys at Hawk Law Group as soon as possible to preserve your case. Delays make it harder to gather reliable evidence to prove your claim.
Schedule a Free Consultation with an Augusta Premises Liability Lawyer
Were you left with serious injuries due to a property owner’s negligence? Hawk Law Group is prepared to give your case the attention and resources it deserves as we fight for fair compensation on your behalf.
Contact our law firm to schedule a free initial consultation with an Augusta premises liability lawyer to discuss how we can help you.
Our Personal Injury law firm in Agusta also provides:
- Bus Accident Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Car Accident Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Catastrophic Injury Attorneys in Augusta, GA
- Child Injury Attorneys in Augusta, GA
- Dog Bite Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Electric Scooter Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Augusta, GA
- Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Premises Liability Attorneys in Augusta, GA
- Product Liability Lawyer in Augusta, GA
- Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys in Augusta, GA
- Taxi Accident Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Truck Accident Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Uber Accident Attorneys in Augusta, GA
- Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Augusta, GA
- Wrongful Death Attorneys in Augusta, GA
Areas We Serve in Augusta, GA
We serve clients in Augusta, North Augusta, Downtown Augusta, Medical District, Forest Hills, Summerville, Murray Hill, Harrisburg, West End, Hammond’s Ferry, Harrisburg, Bethlehem, Glendale, Turpin Hill, South Turpin Hill, May Park, Sand Hills, and its surrounding areas.
We also handle injury cases throughout Georgia and South Carolina.
