Homeowner Liability
If someone was injured at your home and sues you for damages, you should immediately hire experienced personal injury attorneys in Orange County.
Who May Sue the Homeowner
If a guest sustained injuries inside your home, he may accuse you of negligence and sue you for damages. It’s even possible for someone to sue you for getting hurt by guests who left your home.
Personal Injury Attorneys in Orange County: The Homeowner’s General Duty of Care for Guests
When you, the homeowner, invite guests to your property, you must accept them into a reasonably safe environment. This requires you to address any aspects of the property that could lead to injuries and cannot be readily seen and avoided by guests. Such obligations derive from accepted standards for negligent behavior, which can hold you liable even for injuries caused by accidents.
Personal Injury Attorneys in Orange County Discuss the Benefits of Home Insurance
The most common and reliable way to protect yourself is to obtain homeowner insurance, which is available to renters as well as homeowners. If you buy home insurance, you should know that the policy covers most injuries to guests caused by accidents but not intentional acts such as a fist fight. Courts will occasionally order the insurance companies to make payments under a policy for intentional acts if it led to an unintentional injury.
Personal Injury Attorneys in Orange County: Providing Alcohol to Guests Makes You Liable
A third party may also sue you under the concept of social host liability. Under this theory, a third party can hold you responsible for his injuries resulting from your guests who drove home inebriated after drinking at your house. You might be liable if you served alcohol to your guest and did not stop the guest from driving despite knowing that he was drunk and planned to drive.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Orange County: How States Hold Homeowners Liable for Underage Drinking on Their Property
Some states allow the concept of social host liability to cover underage drinking by guests in a home. In these states, the parent homeowners are liable for minors drinking in their homes even if it occurred without their knowledge, they specifically told the kids not to drink and no one was injured after drinking.
The parents of the guest teenager may also sue the homeowner, who will then face the possibility of legal penalties and jail time. In other states, parents are only liable for underage drinking in their homes under certain circumstances such as an accident that results from drinking alcohol at their house.
If You Require Legal Assistance from Personal Injury Lawyers, Orange County Has Options for You
Personal injury cases will involve many complex laws that concern injuries and liability. If you are facing a lawsuit filed by a guest at your home, be sure to contact a personal injury lawyer to protect yourself.
If you were injured in an accident, you might be entitled to compensation. If you are interested in consulting personal injury attorneys, Orange County law offices of Russell & Lazarus APC can offer you a free initial consultation. Call 949-851-0222.