Social Guests and Premises Liability in Florida

Whether it is at July 4th parties, graduation parties, summer parties, or parties in general, if you live in Florida, please beware that you may be held liable if someone is injured on your property. A social guest, if injured in your house, may sue you if he or she is injured due to your lack of reasonable care. Though this concept may seem complex at first, this post aims at clarifying Florida’s premises law.

If you or a loved one are injured on the property of another, you may be entitled to substantial compensation. To increase your chances of compensation, it is imperative that you hire an attorney for your case. The Miami personal injury at Gerson & Schwartz PA lawyers are here to help. Our lawyers have provided high quality legal representation to injured people in Florida for over 40 years. We are dedicated to protecting our clients’ rights and helping them get back on their feet. For a FREE consultation, call (305) 371-6000 or contact us online.

Florida’s Premises Liability Laws

Florida recognizes three types of entrants onto your property: invitees, licensees, and trespassers. Invitees are people who are invited to enter or remain on your property as a member of the public for which the land is held open. Customers in a shoe store or people going into an art museum are all invitees. Invitees are present on the land for a mutual benefit.  Trespassers, of course, enters one’s property without the right to do so.

Licensees, on the other hand, are people who come to your property for their own convenience.  There is no mutual benefit involved with licensees. A common example is a social guest or someone you have over for drinks.

Per Florida law, if you do have guests over, then you have certain duties. For instance, as the property owner, you must correct or warn the guest(s) of dangers that you know of or should know of by the use of reasonable care, and which the visitor cannot or should not know of by the use of reasonable care. Additionally, as the property owner, you must maintain your premises in a reasonably safe condition. This even includes guarding the property against foreseeable third-party crimes.     

If you are planning on having guests over, for example, it is important that you act reasonably in ensuring their safety and wellbeing. This is especially true if alcohol is involved. All too often do people get intoxicated and injure themselves.

Contact an Attorney to Ensure Compensation

Have you been injured on someone’s property due to his or her negligence? If you desire to be compensated for your injury, it is imperative that you hire an attorney for your case. The Miami premises liability attorneys at Gerson & Schwartz PA have aggressively represented similar clients for over 40 years and are here for you. We are experienced Miami personal injury attorneys, resourceful advocates, and aggressive litigators for clients seeking to recover damages for the full extent of their losses from negligent individuals, business operators, and corporations.

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