Property owners in Snohomish have a legal duty to keep their property maintained in a safe condition or to adequately warn visitors to the property of an unsafe condition to prevent injuries. This law applies to owners of private property as well as business owners who invite others onto their property for commercial business purposes. Property owners are in a better position to know about unsafe aspects of their property than visitors and thus, they are responsible and may be held liable for the consequences to an injury victim. A property owner who fails to uphold their duty by taking reasonable measures to prevent injuries is negligent.
If you or a close family member suffered injuries due to a property owner’s carelessness or failure to warn of a hazard, a premises liability attorney in Snohomish is ready to help you in your claim to recover your losses—known as “damages” in a personal injury case. Call a Snohomish personal injury lawyer from Wells Trumbull today for a free confidential consultation so we can begin a personalized legal strategy to obtain the outcome you’re seeking in your claim.
Why Choose Us as Your Premises Liability Lawyers in Snohomish?
Our lead Attorneys, Ben Wells and Joshua Trumbull are dedicated client advocates who represent clients injured in premises liability claims in Snohomish and the surrounding Washington region. For decades, they’ve earned the respect and admiration of peers and others in the Snohomish legal realm through notable wins and a reputation for success. By choosing Wells Trumbull, you’ll have the following advantages for your premises liability claim:
- A free confidential consultation and contingency-based payment so you pay no legal fees until we recover your compensation
- A dedicated lawyer who will get to know you and your family and personally witness the effects of the injury on your life to make a more compelling case for your full compensation
- The collaborative efforts of a legal team devoted to protecting clients from common insurance company tactics used to deny or undervalue claims
- Individualized attention from an attorney who will personalize a unique strategy tailored to the specific details of your premises liability case
- A results-oriented approach to seek a settlement whenever possible but always with a plan in place for a court case should litigation become necessary to recover your losses
At Wells Trumbull, we use our powerful voice and positive local reputation behind your case for the best possible outcome. Our track record of success includes a recent $2.1 million jury verdict for a premises liability case involving a woman who slipped while working in a nursing home.
Common Premises Liability Claims in Washington
As seen in copies of Washington jury instructions, Washington holds the owner of any premises liable for the consequences of physical injuries to private invitees and business invitees harmed on the property if the following facts exist:
The owner “knows of the condition or fails to exercise ordinary care to discover the condition, and should realize that it involves an unreasonable risk of harm to such [business invitees] [public invitees] [customers]; should expect that they will not discover or realize the danger, or will fail to protect themselves against it; and fails to exercise ordinary care to protect them against the danger; and the dangerous condition is within those portions of the premises that the invitee is expressly or impliedly invited to use or might reasonably be expected to use.”
Common examples of premises liability claims in Washington include:
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Negligent security assaults
- Inadequate lighting accidents
- Dog bites
- Pool accidents
- Elevator and escalator accidents
- Fires
- Parking lot accidents
- Sidewalk accidents
- Inadequate maintenance
Stores, restaurants, cafes, hotels, public parks, bus stops, swimming pools, apartment complexes, amusement parks, and private residential premises are all common places where injuries occur and result in premises liability claims in Snohomish.
Are Tresspassers Exempt in Snohomish Premises Liability Claims?
While property owners may not purposefully injure a trespasser on their property except in self-defense, Washington law does not hold the property owner liable for injuries to a trespasser or anyone committing a crime on private or commercial property.
It’s important to note that “trespassers” do not include those approaching the front of a home for legitimate purposes such as postal and delivery personnel, solicitors, or friendly neighbors. Young children are never considered trespassers under the Washington law. Instead, Washington courts hold that property owners should anticipate that any children in the vicinity might enter their property and take reasonable measures to prevent injury to them.
Common Injuries in Premises Liability Claims in Snohomish
Sudden, unexpected injuries are painful and traumatic, especially when they are preventable injuries that wouldn’t have occurred if only a property owner had taken reasonable care. For example, when a homeowner fails to secure a dog and the dog attacks a postal delivery employee. Common injuries in Snohomish premises liability cases include the following:
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Traumatic head injuries
- Broken bones
- Dog bite wounds
- Burns
- Near-drowning injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Facial injuries/disfigurement
- Soft tissue injuries such as sprains and torn ligaments
- Lacerations, bruises, and abrasions
When injuries are painful and cause expensive medical bills and missed work days, the victim shouldn’t be left responsible for the damages when the injury was the direct result of a property owner’s carelessness.
What Compensation is Available for Damages in a Snohomish Premises Liability Case?
Injuries can quickly become expensive as well as painful and disruptive to the victim’s life. Common compensation in premises liability cases includes amounts for the following economic and non-economic damages:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Future income loss
- Diminished capacity to earn due to injury-caused disability
- Pain and suffering
- Any other non-economic damages that apply in an individual case such as PTSD, disfigurement, traumatic limb loss, loss of enjoyment of life, or loss of consortium.
If a property or business owner’s negligence causes a loved one’s death, family members can recover further compensation in a Washington wrongful death claim. The lawyers at Wells Trumbull are ready to help navigate the legal challenges of your premises liability claim in Snohomish while you focus on your physical recovery.
Contact the Snohomish Premises Liability Lawyers at Wells Trumbull Today
No one should take on a premises liability claim in Washington without experienced legal representation. Insurance companies rarely pay out on claims happily, but instead try to dispute valid claims or offer inadequate settlements. Instead of settling for far less than you deserve, call the premises liability attorneys in Snohomish today. An Everett personal injury attorney from Wells Trumbull is ready to begin strategizing for prompt action and the best possible outcome on your claim.