PREMISES LIABILITY

Property owners and business establishments have a duty to provide a safe environment for individuals on their premises. If you are injured because a property owner or a business establishment fails to provide a safe environment, you have a right to bring a claim for your pain and suffering, medical expenses and lost wages. Winer Meheula & Devens LLP handles the full spectrum of cases involving premises liability including: (1) slip and fall incidents at commercial establishments caused by liquids or foreign substances; (2) trip and fall incidents caused by unsafe property conditions; (3) construction site injuries; (4) injuries caused by unsafe pool or beach conditions; and (5) assaults by employees or business patrons.

Over the past several years, Winer Meheula & Devens LLP has successfully represented clients against numerous supermarkets, convenience stores, department stores, office buildings, restaurants, condominiums and shopping centers in slip and fall cases. These cases usually involve situations where employees negligently allow liquids or foreign substances to remain on a floor or surface for an extended period of time. For example, Winer Meheula & Devens LLP recently obtained a $900,000 settlement for a client who was severely injured when he slipped and fell in a greasy substance in a condominium's parking lot.

Trip and fall cases typically involve situations where a landowner creates an unsafe condition in violation of a building code or a county regulation. For example, Winer Meheula & Devens LLP obtained settlements exceeding $100,000 for clients injured when: (1) a landlord failed to install handrails and guardrails along a steep staircase in violation of the building code; and (2) the City and County of Honolulu created an unsafe curb on a pedestrian walkway at a municipal park.

Construction site cases usually involve injuries caused when a general contractor or developer fails to comply with occupational safety and health regulations. In 1996, for example, Winer Meheula & Devens LLP obtained a settlement exceeding $200,000 for an ironworker who fell thirty feet because the general contractor did not provide adequate safety equipment.

The attorneys at Winer Meheula & Devens LLP have also had marked success in handling cases involving unsafe conditions at beaches and pools. In 2000, the firm obtained a settlement in excess of $500,000 against the City and COunty of Honolulu in a wronful death action involving negligent supervision by lifeguards. In 1994, the firm was involved in obtaining $1,500,000 from the City and County of Honolulu for a client injured body surfing at Sandy Beach on Oahu. We have also obtained several large settlements from hotels on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island for unsafe conditions at their pools.

For more information on premises liability cases, please feel free to contact us at winer@pacificlaw.com.