Portland Premises Liability Attorneys

Help After You’re Hurt by a Property Defect

When you’re on someone else’s property, it’s reasonable to assume that you’re safe from dangerous hazards and defects there. If you aren’t kept safe and an injury happens, then you could hold that property owner or proprietor liable for your losses. This is the concept of premises liability in Oregon law, and it is one that you can explore with the help of Pacific Cascade Legal. Our Portland premises liability lawyers are here to guide you through your case from start to finish, including first seeing if you have a valid claim that should be pursued.

For honest, caring legal counsel, call (503) 573-5566 now.

Types of Premises Liability Accidents

Pacific Cascade Legal has decades of collective legal experience working on difficult and high-stakes injury cases, including premises liability claims and lawsuits. If you were in a premises liability accident, then you can rest assured that we know how to approach the situation and decide the next best steps. We can work on any case, regardless of its details.

Common forms of premises liability accident claims are:

• Slip-and-fall accidents: The most common premises liability case type – and one of the most common types of personal injury cases overall – is the slip-and-fall accident case. Seemingly small problems like loose carpeting or slick tile floor can cause a life-changing slip-and-fall accident in an instant. Property owners can be held liable for not addressing slip or trip hazards in a timely manner to protect their visitors from harm.
• Dog bites: Dog owners in Oregon must restrain their pets when others are around or while they are in public places. If a dog bites someone and causes a serious injury, then the dog owner can be liable for it, even if that dog has never attacked anyone in the past.
• Negligent security: Certain properties are more likely to be targeted by criminal offenders than others, such as banks, 24-hour convenience stores, and apartment complexes in neighborhoods with high crime rates. Owners or managers of these properties are expected to provide heightened security measures to deter crimes against their patrons and visitors. Failing to do so could make the property owner liable for any harm caused by a criminal there.
• Toxic exposure: Hazardous chemicals and substances must be stored safely to not endanger visitors to toxic exposure. We can work on complicated premises liability cases that require in-depth investigations of the situation and the dangers of the property, like toxic exposure claims.
• Attractive nuisances: In Oregon, the attractive nuisance doctrine states that property owners must take reasonable steps to secure the premises if there is an inherently dangerous item there that could look fun or enticing to a small child. For example, pools and trampolines are considered attractive nuisances that must be secured to prevent children from trespassing to access them.

What is an Invitee or Licensee?

What type of visitor were you to the property owner when you were injured? The question might seem simple, but the answer can have significant implications on the development and outcome of the premises liability claim. Property owners and managers owe different duties of care to different visitors.

Visitors to a piece of property can be categorized as:

• Invitees: An invitee has been invited by the property owner for the benefit of the property owner or to conduct business. For example, shoppers in a retail or grocery store are invitees. Property owners owe the highest duty of care to invitees.
• Licensees: A licensee has visited the property for their own benefit or social reasons. For example, people visiting the house of a friend are licensees. Property owners owe a lessened duty of care to licensees.
• Trespassers: A trespasser has not been invited to the property, has entered it unlawfully, and/or is at the property to commit a crime like a burglary. Property owners owe a minimal duty of care to trespassers.

We know how to design and build your claim, whether you were an invitee or licensee when you were injured. You might even have a case if you were a trespasser, so don’t assume you can’t get compensation. Talk to us first during an initial consultation.

Learn About Your Legal Options – Call Now

Pacific Cascade Legal in Portland can help if you were hurt on someone else’s property. We have a premises liability case team standing by to hear from you. Please call (503) 573-5566 as soon as possible to talk with us. We look forward to seeing what we can do.