Every day in Colorado Springs, residents and visitors visit shopping centers, restaurants, apartment complexes, office buildings, and other properties, expecting to be safe from harm. Unfortunately, dangerous property conditions can lead to serious and preventable injuries. When a property owner or manager fails to maintain safe premises, they can and should be held accountable for the harm caused.
At Pribila and Fields, our experienced legal team represents clients throughout Colorado Springs in all types of premises liability cases. These claims arise when a dangerous or hazardous condition on someone else’s property causes injury. Our job is to prove that the property owner knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to take reasonable steps to fix it or warn visitors. Whether your case involves a slip and fall, inadequate security, unsafe walkways, or other hazards, we are here to protect your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Premises liability law in Colorado recognizes different legal duties based on the visitor’s status:
- Invitee: Someone on the property for the benefit of the owner, such as a customer in a store. Invitees are owed the highest duty of care, which includes regular inspections and prompt hazard removal.
- Licensee: Someone on the property for personal reasons, such as a social guest. Owners must use reasonable care with known hazards and warn about them.
- Trespasser: Generally owed the lowest duty of care, except in cases involving intentional harm or the attractive nuisance doctrine, which protects children lured by hazardous features.
Our firm understands these distinctions and how they can affect your case. We will evaluate your visitor status, gather the evidence needed to prove negligence, and work tirelessly to hold the responsible party accountable.
Common Types of Property Injuries in Colorado Springs
Premises liability claims in Colorado Springs can arise from a wide variety of unsafe property conditions. In many cases, these hazards could have been prevented through proper maintenance, safety inspections, and reasonable care by the property owner or manager. Unfortunately, when those responsibilities are ignored, innocent visitors can suffer severe injuries.
Some of the most common scenarios we handle include:
- Slip and fall accidents: Wet floors from spills, freshly mopped surfaces without warning signs, icy sidewalks in winter, uneven flooring, and poor lighting can all cause devastating falls. Our Colorado Springs slip and fall attorneys have extensive experience proving these claims by gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and establishing the property owner’s negligence.
- Inadequate security: Property owners in high-crime or high-traffic areas have a duty to provide adequate security measures. This may include proper lighting, working locks, security personnel, or surveillance cameras. Failing to address known safety risks can lead to assaults, robberies, or other criminal acts.
- Swimming pool accidents: Pools without adequate supervision, missing safety barriers, or slippery decks can be hazardous, especially for children. These incidents can result in drowning or severe non-fatal injuries that require lifelong care.
- Defective stairs or railings: Broken steps, loose handrails, or poorly maintained staircases significantly increase the risk of falls. These hazards are especially dangerous for elderly individuals and those with mobility challenges.
- Falling objects: Improperly secured merchandise in stores, tools left unsecured on construction sites, or debris falling from upper levels can cause severe head, neck, or spinal injuries.
- Fire and burn hazards: Faulty wiring, unsafe heating systems, and lack of fire safety equipment can lead to catastrophic fires. Our Colorado Springs burn injury attorneys can help you recover damages for medical treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
- Dog bites or animal attacks: When a property owner allows dangerous animals to roam freely or fails to restrain them, they may be liable for resulting injuries, including scarring, infections, and emotional trauma.
- Toxic substance exposure: Exposure to hazardous chemicals, mold, lead paint, or asbestos can cause chronic respiratory issues, cancers, and other serious health problems if not addressed promptly.
Whether your injury happened in a commercial property, rental home, or public facility in Colorado Springs, the attorneys at Pribila and Fields will investigate the cause, identify all responsible parties, and pursue maximum compensation on your behalf.
Common Injuries in Colorado Springs Property Accidents
Property-related accidents in Colorado Springs can lead to a wide range of injuries, from short-term harm to permanent disabilities that change every aspect of a victim’s life. The physical, emotional, and financial toll of these injuries can be overwhelming, which is why pursuing fair compensation is so important.
Common injuries in these cases include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): Falls, falling objects, and violent impacts can cause concussions, brain bleeds, and other head injuries. TBIs may lead to cognitive impairments, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, and emotional changes, often requiring years of therapy and ongoing medical support.
- Spinal cord injuries: These injuries can result in partial or complete paralysis, permanently altering a person’s independence and mobility. Our Colorado Springs catastrophic injury attorneys fight for the significant resources needed for medical care, adaptive equipment, and home modifications.
- Broken bones and fractures: The hips, wrists, arms, and ankles are particularly vulnerable in falls. Fractures often require surgical repair, casting, and extensive rehabilitation. For older adults, a hip fracture can result in long-term disability or loss of independence.
- Burns: Fires, electrical accidents, and chemical exposure can lead to painful and disfiguring burns. Treatment often involves multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and lengthy recovery periods.
- Internal injuries: Damage to organs such as the liver, spleen, or lungs may not be visible immediately after the accident but can be life-threatening without urgent medical intervention.
- Soft tissue injuries: Sprains, strains, and torn ligaments in the knees, shoulders, or back can cause lasting pain, limited range of motion, and the inability to work or perform daily activities.
- Wrongful death: In the most devastating cases, property hazards lead to fatal injuries. Our Colorado Springs wrongful death attorneys provide compassionate support and aggressive legal representation for families seeking justice.
If you or someone you love has suffered an injury due to unsafe property conditions in Colorado Springs, Pribila and Fields is ready to help you pursue a claim that reflects the true extent of your losses. We understand how these injuries can impact your health, your livelihood, and your future, and we are committed to protecting your rights every step of the way.
Determining Liability in a Colorado Springs Premises Liability Accident
Winning a premises liability case in Colorado Springs requires proving that the property owner or another responsible party acted negligently. This means more than simply showing that you were injured on someone else’s property; you must connect your injuries to unsafe conditions the owner knew about or should have known about and failed to fix.
To establish liability, our attorneys must prove:
- A dangerous condition existed on the property: Examples include slippery floors, uneven walkways, missing handrails, exposed wiring, or inadequate lighting.
- The property owner knew or should have known about the condition: Regular inspections and maintenance are part of a property owner’s legal duty. If a hazard existed long enough that it should have been discovered, liability may apply.
- The owner failed to take reasonable steps to fix the hazard or warn visitors: This may include neglecting to clean a spill, repair broken steps, or put up warning signs.
- The hazard directly caused your injury: We connect the unsafe condition to your accident with evidence such as photos, video footage, and witness statements.
