Premises Liability
Iowa law requires property owners to keep their premises safe and provide warnings of any unsafe conditions. Private and commercial property are included within those obligations. Private and commercial property owners in Iowa owe the people on their property a duty to use reasonable care to avoid or warn of dangerous conditions and situations. Through a premises liability claim, property owners may be liable for personal injuries or wrongful death caused by an unsafe condition on the property or lack of warning of the unsafe condition.
Common causes of injuries or death on property that lead to premises liability claims include:
Failure To Remove Snow, Ice, Or Water: This can cause slippery or unstable surfaces that cause pedestrian falls.
Uneven, Pitted, or Cracked Concrete Sidewalks: Pedestrians can trip or twist or break ankles on poorly maintained sidewalks
Falling Objects From Or In Buildings: This is especially true for large commercial buildings. Any object falling from a significant height can cause serious head injuries. Injuries can also be caused by falling merchandise inside stores.
Loose, Deteriorated, Or Inadequate Stairs And Handrails: Especially when descending stairs, handrails that are wobbly or come loose can prevent persons from maintaining their balance and even cause them to fall.
Inadequate Or Nonexistent Security: Commercial property owners, for example those who own shopping malls or office buildings/complexes, have an obligation to protect people on their property from criminal attacks.
Pedestrian And Parking Lot Accidents: Accidents, including injuries to pedestrians, can be caused when commercial property owners fail to have proper markings and signage, such as crosswalks, stop signs, and speed limit signs, in their parking lots.
Iowa law provides strong remedies if you or a loved one is injured in a premises liability accident. You may be able to recover money damages for, among other things, past and future medical expenses, past and future physical and mental pain and suffering, and past and future disability or loss of function of the body. If the accident caused a death, an additional series of money damages for wrongful death may also be applicable. We invite you to take a moment to browse additional information about money damages that we've provided on our Personal Injury And Wrongful Death page.
If you'd like more detailed information about select premises liability topics, we invite you to read the following posts from our law firm blog that you might find helpful:
Negligent Security Claims Against Businesses
Bar Liability For Bar Fights And Attacks
The "Continuing Storm" Exception To The Duty To Remove Ice And Snow
Negligence Liability For Failing To Remove Accumulated Snow
Our firm has tried numerous personal injury claims. If you have questions about a premises liability accident, please take a moment to learn about your rights by reviewing the information provided on this site. If, after reviewing this information, you'd like to speak with us about your premises liability accident, please reach out to us through the Web Contact Form by using the "Contact Us" button or by calling (515) 281-1460. We make every effort to provide a same-day response to all communications received during weekday business hours. It'll be our pleasure to meet with you at no charge, learn more about your situation, and lend you a helping hand.
Your attorney is waiting.
We make every effort to provide a same-day response to all communications received during weekday business hours. Initial telephone calls are always free. If it looks like we can help, it'll be our pleasure to meet with you, learn more about your situation, and lend you a hand. We handle as many of our cases as possible on a contingent fee basis, meaning that there's no fee unless we make a monetary recovery for you.
Erbe Law Firm
2501 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50312
(515) 229-0202
Erbe Law Firm has proudly served clients throughout Iowa since 2005 from our Des Moines law firm. We look forward to hearing from you to see whether we can do the same for you.
