It happens. We invited guests over for a celebration, a barbeque, and a dinner party. We take care of the food, the drinks, and the décor. We look forward to catching up and enjoying the party. But sometimes, something goes wrong. We overlook an impediment, or the dog gets upset and bites a guest, or someone slips on a spilled drink left on the kitchen floor. Here is what to know about Oklahoma homeowner liability if a guest gets injured in or around the home while visiting you.
Common Household Injuries to Guests
Injuries to guests are more common than you might think. Here are some examples of common injuries.
Slip and Fall: Slip and fall, and trip and fall accidents may be the most common types of injury in a home. These often occur when something is inadvertently left on the floor. Liquids, grease, toys, and the like can all become a hazard on the floor. Falls can result in injuries to the arm, wrist, shoulder, knee, ankle, or back. Bruising, sprains, and even fractures can result. Oklahoma City slip-and-fall attorneys are well-versed in the mechanics of this type of accident.
Dog Bites: Dogs can be sensitive to noise and when guests upset an animal, it can bite. Alternatively, when a dog is excited to see the guest, the dog can jump up causing an unintended injury in its excitement. In either case, the homeowner may be held liable for any injuries sustained.
Pools: Pools pose dangers to guests, children, animals, and even trespassers in some cases. Safety nets and fencing can protect an unintended injury. When hosting a party, it may be wise to keep a pool off-limits. If a homeowner makes the pool available to guests, the homeowner should be prepared to have someone watch the pool at all times to ensure safety.
General Liability and Special Situations
Guests may face other types of injuries and dangers, including those that can expose a homeowner to liability if the homeowner is found to be negligent. Premises liability negligence is a sub-specialty of personal injury law. Not all injuries to guests result in cognizable legal claims against the homeowner. All guests who come onto a homeowner’s property must be treated with reasonable care. For many of these types of claims, the homeowner must have either actual notice or implied notice of the problem, time to fix it, and must have failed to do so. In addition, the person injured must have actual damages. If you would like to know more about this, make sure to consult with an OKC injury lawyer attorney who can evaluate your particular circumstances.
Injuries due to alcohol ingestion are a particular area of concern for those homeowners who serve alcohol at parties. Oklahoma is one of a number of states that have what are known as “social host liability” laws where homeowners can be held liable for the actions of intoxicated individuals if the homeowners are serving alcohol.
Not only may the owner be held liable for injuries caused by an intoxicated guest at the premises, but they may also be held liable for injuries caused by an intoxicated guest once they leave the premises. If that guest causes an accident while driving home, homeowner liability could ensue.
Homeowner Liability: What To Do When an Accident Happens
Despite your best efforts, sometimes accidents happen. When they do, make sure that the person injured gets the medical help they need. This is true even for a relatively minor incident. It could mean giving first aid, calling a doctor, or calling for emergency medical assistance if needed.
Take photos of the scene if you can, and talk to other guests to see what happened if you did not witness the incident. Make notes of your observations and conversations with witnesses. You may want to call your insurance company to alert them to a possible claim. You may also want to call your attorney to see what else you might need to do.
An experienced Oklahoma injury attorney can help both before and after an accident occurs. Your attorney can help you understand areas of potential risk in your home and how to ameliorate that risk. After the fact, your attorney can help you understand the process and how to deal with it if you are facing a claim against your homeowner’s policy.
Free Consultation: Oklahoma City Personal Injury Attorney
You pay nothing for our representation in personal injury cases until we get you the compensation you deserve. Before we even start working on your case, we want you to know where you stand. A call to the Personal Injury Law Office of Oklahoma City costs you nothing, but the information you receive could be invaluable.
For a free, no-risk consultation with a knowledgeable Oklahoma City personal injury attorney, call today: (405) 716-4878 (716-HURT).
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