Four Things You Must Do To Avoid Personal Injury Lawsuits As A Homeowner

Law Blog

In today's lawsuit-happy society, it's important to take safeguards to protect yourself from legal liability. This is especially true around your home — your most expensive asset. Here are four things that every homeowner must do to protect themselves from liability in a personal injury lawsuit.

Keep Your Dog On a Leash

You are responsible for keeping your dog under control at all times. If it bites someone, you will be held responsible for paying their medical bills in a personal injury claim, and animal control may also be called.

No matter how big your yard is or how well behaved you think your dog is, never let it run free. You never know what could suddenly set it off.

When you go outside, keep it on a leash unless you are inside of a fence. If you have a fenced yard, make sure that the gates close themselves automatically, there are no gaps between sections where your dog can squeeze through, and that your dog can't dig under the fence.

Enclose Your Pool

If something happens to a child in your pool, you are responsible. This is even true if they have to wander across your 20-acre property from 5 houses over before they fall in.

Under the law, a pool is considered an attractive nuisance which means that you have an extra duty to keep trespassers safe even if they shouldn't be there. Your pool must be completely surrounded by a fence or a screened enclosure with gates that cannot be opened by children.

For the safety of your children and your guests, you also should avoid having a back door that opens directly to the pool. A fence or gate should block this path as well.

Keep Your Sidewalk Clean

Homeowners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks in front of their homes. This includes keeping them clear of yard debris, snow, and ice. Be sure to clear them as soon as possible after a storm.

If you see cracks, notify the city so that a repair can be scheduled.

Prune Your Trees

Falling branches can cause major property damage or serious injuries. An untrained homeowner cannot reliably recognize when a tree or branch is unhealthy and at risk of falling.

You should have a trained professional inspect and prune your trees annually. The small cost is far less than the potential hassle of a lawsuit.

To learn more about your potential liabilities as a homeowner or to get help defending a personal injury lawsuit, contact a local personal injury lawyer, like those at FrascaKim Lawyers, today.

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