What to know about asbestos and premises liability claims

When people think about premises liability claims, they often think of claims that involve dog bites, slip-and-fall injuries or swimming pool accidents. While these are some of the more common incidents prompting premises liability claims, asbestos exposure can also be grounds for a legal claim against a property owner.

In order for asbestos exposure to lead to a premises liability claim, there must be evidence that a property owner was negligent in keeping visitors and tenants safe from asbestos present on the premises. Proving this negligence can be legally challenging, but an attorney familiar with these claims can help people understand their options.

For example, in some cases it can be shown that a property owner failed to have a building properly inspected for asbestos. There may be evidence that the property owner knew that asbestos was present and failed to do anything about it. In some cases, property owners have gone to great lengths to give the impression that they are addressing asbestos concerns but ultimately choose to cut corners and hire inadequate or uninformed removal crews.

In any of these situations, people who have been exposed to asbestos in or at a negligent property owner’s job site or building may have grounds to pursue a legal claim. It can also be possible for workers on the site to pursue a premises liability claim if they were not properly informed of or protected from the asbestos.

The legal theory of premises liability can prove to be very complicated, especially for people without a background in civil litigation and asbestos claims. Victims of illnesses or injuries caused by exposure to asbestos on someone else’s property have the right to speak with an attorney to discuss their options for taking legal action against a negligent party.