Accidents can happen anywhere—in a grocery store, at a friend’s apartment, or in a hotel lobby. One moment, you’re going about your day—the next, you slip on an unmarked wet floor, trip on uneven pavement, or experience harm due to inadequate security. Suddenly, you’re facing medical bills, time away from work, and a difficult recovery.
You shouldn’t have to bear the burden of someone else’s negligence. Unfortunately, property owners and their insurance companies often try to minimize their responsibility, arguing that the hazard was obvious or that your injuries aren’t severe. Without experienced legal representation, you may not receive the full compensation you need to heal and move forward.
At Finney Injury Law, we’re here to help. We have guided many premises liability victims through this process, ensuring they receive the support and compensation they deserve. You don’t have to face this alone—we’re ready to stand by your side.
What Exactly Is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is an area of law that holds property owners responsible for accidents and injuries that occur due to dangerous or defective conditions. In Missouri and Illinois, property owners have a legal duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions for visitors and warn them of known hazards that aren't immediately obvious.
For a successful premises liability claim, our St. Louis trial attorneys must establish:
- The property owner owed you a duty of care based on your visitor status.
- A dangerous condition existed on the property.
- The individual or entity knew or should have known about the hazard.
- The negligent party failed to fix the condition or warn about it.
- You were injured as a direct result of this negligence.
- You suffered damages that can be compensated.
Different standards of care apply depending on whether you were an invitee (business visitor), licensee (social guest), or trespasser at the time of your injury. Our experienced premises liability attorneys at Finney Injury Law assist you in understanding these distinctions and how they affect your case.
Types of Premises Liability Cases We Handle
When businesses, landlords, and homeowners are negligent, this wrongdoing often results in life-changing consequences for you. Our skilled legal team understands the unique challenges each type of property hazard presents and how to build compelling cases that demonstrate property owner fault, whether your injury occurred at a retail establishment, apartment complex, hotel, office building, or private residence. Here are some typical cases we’re ready to take to trial for you.
Slip and Fall Accidents
These occur when property owners and building managers fail to address wet floors, icy walkways, torn carpeting, or other hazards that can cause visitors to slip or trip and suffer injuries. Falls can result in serious injuries including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord damage.
Inadequate Security Incidents
Property owners must provide reasonable security measures in areas where crime is foreseeable. When they fail to install proper lighting, security cameras, or access controls, and you become the victim of an assault or robbery, they may be liable for your injuries.
Swimming Pool Accidents
Facilities with pools must have proper fencing, signage, and supervision. Failure to maintain these safety standards frequently results in drownings, near-drownings, and diving accidents.
Fire and Electrical Injuries
When property owners neglect to maintain proper fire prevention systems or allow dangerous electrical conditions, visitors can suffer serious burns and other injuries.
Stairway Accidents
Building codes have specific requirements for stair safety that owners and facility managers must follow. Broken steps, missing handrails, poor lighting, and other defects often cause devastating falls.
Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
Pet owners must control their animals and warn visitors about potentially dangerous situations. If you've been attacked by a person’s dog or another pet without provocation, you may have grounds for a premises liability case.
Elevator and Escalator Accidents
Building owners and management companies have a duty to properly maintain these mechanical devices. Serious injuries from falls, entrapment, or mechanical failures often happen because of negligent oversight.
Why You Need Our Experienced St. Louis Trial Attorneys for Premises Liability Claims
When you’re injured on someone else's property, having the right legal representation makes all the difference. Insurance companies know which law firms settle quickly and which ones prepare every case for trial. At Finney Injury Law, we've built our reputation by successfully trying personal injury cases that other firms might settle.
Our St. Louis premises liability trial attorneys build each case as if it will go to court, considering these important factors.
Multiple Potentially Responsible Parties
Many premises liability cases involve several defendants who may share responsibility:
- Property owners. The individuals or entities who own the land and buildings where your injury occurred bear primary responsibility for maintaining safe premises.
- Property managers. If companies fail to address hazards or properly maintain properties to ensure safety, they may share in liability.
- Tenants. In commercial settings, the business operating on the property may be responsible for certain areas and conditions within their control.
- Maintenance companies. Third-party contractors hired to perform cleaning services and upkeep might be liable if their negligence created or failed to address dangerous conditions.
- Security companies. In cases involving inadequate safety measures, the company providing security services may share responsibility for failures that led to your injuries.
Evidence Preservation and Investigation
Premises liability cases require prompt and thorough investigation. The dangerous condition that caused your injury could be repaired or removed shortly after your accident. At Finney Injury Law, we act quickly to:
- Send spoliation letters demanding the preservation of evidence.
- Obtain surveillance footage before it's deleted.
- Photograph the accident scene and your injuries.
- Identify and interview witnesses.
- Secure maintenance records and incident reports.
- Review building code requirements and inspection histories.
- Consult with safety experts.
This immediate action helps build a strong foundation for your case that insurance companies can’t easily dismiss.
Potential Compensation Available in Premises Liability Cases
If you’re injured due to a property owner's negligence, you may be entitled to various economic and non-economic damages. Our seasoned trial attorneys at Finney Injury Law have secured numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts by structuring settlements to cover current and future needs such as:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Property damage
In cases involving extreme negligence or reckless disregard for safety, the court may also award punitive damages to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct.
How Finney Injury Law Fights for You
We pair our trial experience with a boutique firm approach, giving your case the focused attention it deserves while delivering the high-caliber results you'd expect from a larger firm. Here's our approach:
- Limit our caseload. By handling fewer cases, we provide you with personalized attention and allocate the resources your case deserves.
- Partner with trusted experts. We collaborate with safety engineers, medical experts, life care planners, economists, and other experts who strengthen your case and clearly demonstrate the full extent of your losses.
- Calculate complete damages. We carefully assess all losses in detail to ensure you're fully compensated for the short and long-term impacts of your injury.
- Advance all costs. We cover all initial expenses related to your case, so you don't pay anything out of pocket while recovering from your injuries.
- Work on contingency. You pay no fees unless we win your case, aligning our interests with your best outcome.
You’re not just a number to us. We’ll stand by your side and fight for your rights, no matter how powerful the opponent.