Colorado Springs Personal Injury Lawyer
Colorado Springs Premises Liability Attorney
When a property owner’s negligence put you in harm’s way, Colorado law has a remedy. We know it.
If you were hurt on someone else’s property in Colorado Springs, the property owner may owe you compensation. Premises liability law isn’t intuitive: the duty owed depends on why you were there. We’ve handled these cases for Colorado families for more than 40 years.
Attorney Alex Kerr personally handles every case, with paralegal Gianna Grantham as your day-to-day point of contact. Free consultation. No fees unless we recover.
After an Injury on Someone Else’s Property
First Steps to Preserve Your Case
01
Report It to the Property Owner
Tell a manager, security, or building owner immediately. Ask for a written incident report and keep a copy. Their report is evidence.
02
Photograph the Hazard
Wet floor, broken stair, missing handrail, bad lighting. Photograph it before it gets cleaned up or fixed. Get the surveillance camera location too.
03
Get Surveillance Preserved Fast
Most retail and commercial systems overwrite footage in 7 to 30 days. A lawyer’s preservation letter sent the week of the incident often saves the case.
Cases We Handle
- Slip and fall. Wet floors, ice, uneven pavement, unmarked hazards. Documenting the dangerous condition is the case.
- Inadequate maintenance. When a property owner ignores a known hazard and a visitor pays the price.
- Negligent security. Apartment complexes, parking lots, and businesses owe duties to keep visitors safe from foreseeable harm.
- Elevator and escalator injuries. Faulty maintenance, sudden drops, mis-leveling. Building owners and elevator companies share liability.
- Rental property accidents. Landlord obligations under Colorado law, and what tenants can recover when those duties fail.
- Dog bites. Colorado’s statute makes owners strictly liable for serious bites in many situations.
Colorado Premises Law, in Brief
Colorado’s Premises Liability Act (C.R.S. ยง 13-21-115) sorts visitors into three categories. Invitees (customers, business guests) are owed the highest duty, the landowner must protect against dangers they knew or should have known about. Licensees (social guests) are owed a duty against known hazards. Trespassers are owed only protection from willful harm.
Why this matters: insurers will argue you were a licensee (or worse) to lower the duty owed and shrink the payout. Determining the right category often decides the case.
The statute of limitations on most Colorado premises injury claims is two years from the date of injury. The practical deadline is much sooner, because surveillance footage gets overwritten, hazards get fixed, and witnesses move.
FAQ
Common Questions
Do I have to prove the owner knew about the hazard?
Yes or that they reasonably should have known. A spill present for hours, a stair broken for weeks, or a pattern of similar incidents can establish constructive notice even without direct knowledge.
What if I signed a liability waiver?
Waivers aren’t bulletproof in Colorado. Courts examine whether the waiver was clear, conspicuous, and whether the injury fell within its scope. Gross negligence and reckless conduct are usually outside what any waiver can cover. We’ve successfully challenged waiver defenses, see our guide on liability waivers.
I was at a friend’s house. Can I really sue?
In most cases, you’re recovering from homeowners’ insurance, not your friend’s personal money. Premises liability claims against private homeowners are common and don’t damage the relationship the way people fear.
How long do I have to file?
Two years from the date of injury for most Colorado premises claims. But waiting destroys evidence. Surveillance footage is often overwritten in 7 to 30 days. The faster we’re involved, the stronger the case.
What’s the average payout?
There’s no average, premises cases vary widely by injury severity, medical costs, lost income, and the strength of the negligence proof. A boutique firm willing to go to trial pushes settlement value higher than one that takes whatever the adjuster offers.
Talk to a Premises Liability Attorney
Free consultation. No fees unless we win. Alex handles every case personally.