Property owners and managers have a risk of liability arising from incidents and accidents occurring on their premises. The skilled attorneys at Gausnell, O’Keefe & Thomas, LLC have vast knowledge and experience defending commercial and individual property owners, tenants, service providers, restaurants, hotels, general contractors, subcontractors, insurers, and other business organizations in premises liability claims.
Premises
Liability
Property owners and managers have a risk of liability arising from incidents and accidents occurring on their premises. We frequently represent commercial and individual property owners, tenants, service providers, restaurants, hotels, general contractors, subcontractors, insurers, and other business organizations in premises liability matters.
Premises Liability Attorneys
What Is Premises Liability?
Under the legal theory of premises liability, property owners may be liable for accidents and injuries that occur on their property. In Missouri and Illinois, the responsible party is not necessarily the landowner, but oftentimes the party who had possession or control of the property where the accident or injury occurred. If a landlord has leased a property to a tenant and the landlord does not maintain control of the property—as with shopping malls and many other businesses—the tenant may potentially be responsible for injuries to visitors on the portion of the property for which they are responsible.
Types of Premises Liability Claims
We have defended property owners and tenants against a wide range of premises liability claims, including cases involving:
- Slip, trip, and fall accidents
- Third-party criminal acts and claims for negligent security
- Attractive nuisance claims involving children
- Toxic exposure claims
- Construction activity injuries
- Dram shop liability
- Escalator and elevator accidents
How Our Premises Liability Attorneys Can Help You
Premises liability claims can be complex with many different factors in play, that’s why it is best to work with an experienced law firm that knows how to get favorable results—that’s where we come in. Our St. Louis premises liability defense attorneys can immediately investigate, determine, and document:
- The facts of the claimed injury including identifying and interviewing all potential witnesses
- The actual condition of the premises
- The legal relationship between the claimant and your business
- Other potential causes of the claimed injury
- Previous injuries and claims of the plaintiff or claimant
- Any other data in support of an effective legal defense
Premises Liability Defense
Our attorneys have decades of trial experience under their belts and can assist in developing a strong defense against the claimant. Depending on the circumstances of the claim, defenses to premises liability claims may include:
- The claimant’s own negligence constituted the actual cause of the accident or injuries
- The alleged hazard was open and obvious and should have been avoided
- The claimant was trespassing or had no legal right to be on the property
- The fault for the hazard lies with the actions or inaction of another third-party
- The hazard itself was a naturally occurring phenomenon
St. Louis Premises Liability Lawyers
At Gausnell, O’Keefe & Thomas, LLC, we have the knowledge, skills, and resources to quickly identify favorable evidence; work with competent experts to provide opinions and documentation on the nature of the claimed dangerous condition; and assert and argue defenses in response to the facts of your particular case.
We are happy to meet to discuss how our firm can assist you with any current or potential premises liability legal matters.
Contact Us Today
Why Choose Us?
Quality
The quality of our work comes from years of experience, knowing what works and out-working our opponents to get the job done.
Professionalism
The lawyers of GOT place respect for the courts, the Bar and the legal profession as their highest obligation.
Experience
Together, the founders of GOT have tried nearly 250 jury trials to verdict. With that level of experience comes an entirely different perspective on civil litigation which few other firms can match.
Honors
Recognized by Martindale-Hubbell, the gold standard in attorney ratings, as AV rated, their highest ranking for strong legal ability and high ethical standards, along with Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers as top performers in their fields.
