What should I know about premises liability cases in Tennessee?

When a restaurant patron slips on a spilled beverage that hadn’t been cleaned up or a retail shopper trips on a broken step that had not been fixed, the property owner may be liable for their injuries. Common premises liability injuries include head injuries and broken bones from slips and falls, but people can also suffer from severe burns, electric shocks, and illness from toxic exposure.

Los propietarios tienen el deber de cuidar a ciertas personas que ingresan a la propiedad. Las tres categorías de personas que pueden estar en la propiedad son las siguientes:

1. An invitee is a person who is visiting the property to conduct business or for another reason that is beneficial to both parties. Restaurant patrons and retail shoppers are included in this category.
2. Un visitante social es alguien que es bienvenido en la propiedad pero que no fue necesariamente invitado, como un familiar o un amigo.
3. Un intruso es una persona que no es bienvenida en la propiedad.

For the first two types of visitors, property owners have a responsibility to ensure that there are no hazardous conditions that could lead to injury. For the third type of visitor, a property owner has a responsibility to not intentionally cause injury, but if a trespasser is injured on the premises, the property owner is not liable.