When someone is injured as a result of unsafe property or building conditions, he may have a right to make a claim for damages against the owner of the property. In Nevada, a landowner may be liable for injuries occurring on his land if his conduct regarding risk of injury was unreasonable under the circumstance. Property maintenance and adequate warning about hidden dangers are often considered when analyzing whether a landowner's conduct was reasonable.
Unlike some jurisdictions which base a landowner's liability entirely on the injured person's status as a trespasser, licensee, or invitee, Nevada law considers the status of the injured person only to evaluate the reasonableness of the landowner's conduct.
Business Premises and Security
A business owner has a duty to provide a safe place for guests and customers to visit. Claims against companies for injuries resulting from criminal violence against guests and customers have increased dramatically over the past 10 years. Because the perpetrator of a rape, armed robbery, or murder is often not apprehended (or even if he is apprehended, he is usually "judgment proof"), victims frequently seek compensation for their injuries from a business owner.
A landowner's duty may arise when the criminal conduct of a third party is the foreseeable result of a landowner's negligence. When criminal conduct of a third party is foreseeable, the landowner has a duty to prevent injuries arising from such conduct. A landowner or business owner must provide reasonable security. Expert witnesses are often used to evaluate and testify with respect to the issue of what constitutes reasonable security.
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