One of the factors you will need to consider in a potential premises liability claim is whether there were any warning signs posted on the property. In some cases, warning signs might protect the property owner from some or all liability for accidents that occur.
Property owners still have a legal duty to reasonably maintain their property, so a warning sign does not entirely override that duty. However, if a property is under construction or the owner knows of a risk and is preparing to address it within a reasonable amount of time, a warning sign may serve as a way to let anyone present know their entrance to that section of the property means they have assumed the risk of any dangers there.
Effectively using warning signs
Courts will take the effectiveness of a warning sign into account during premises liability cases. It’s not enough for there to be a warning sign on the property—people actually have to be able to see it.
Warning signs are only effective if they can notify the person entering the property of the specific dangers they face. Thus, if a sign is too small, is in a location that is not obvious, is unreadable or simply does not contain sufficient information, the property owner will likely not be able to escape liability due to the warning sign being insufficient to provide notification of danger.
If you are interested in learning more about how premises liability cases work and the responsibilities property owners have, contact a trusted Bradenton, FL personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh.