Sometimes having an accident in California may only cause minor injuries, while other times it may lead to death. Whatever the outcome of the accident, FindLaw notes that the non-owner residents and property owners are responsible for maintaining a safe property. This responsibility is known as premises liability.
Premises liability perhaps most often involves commercial spaces. One of the most common accidents that take place are slip-and-falls. This may result from liquids, oils or even ice inside or outside of the business. Some business owners may believe that because they rent the building, the landlord is responsible or liable for slip-and-fall accidents. Forbes warns that this may not be true. Landlords usually include clauses in rental agreements to share with or offload premises liability responsibilities to renters.
Another common misconception many people have is that they are only responsible for the visitors they invite onto the property. This may include guests, employees and customers. Premises liability law provides some protection for trespassers as well. Because of this, companies must ensure properties are reasonably safe even for people who may visit without consent or against the owner’s wishes. In some instances, even trespassers who intend to commit a crime may have some protections.
Finally, some business owners only focus on accidents. There are other incidents that fall under premises liability, such as workplace violence. This is why it is so important for businesses to have security measures in place to protect visitors, including surveillance cameras, security guards or off-duty police officers.