Understanding if you have an attractive nuisance

On Behalf of | May 25, 2021 | Premises Liability

Many Georgia homeowners don’t realize that they can be held liable for attractive nuisances on their property. In fact, most homeowners aren’t even familiar with what an attractive nuisance is. Below, you’ll learn what an attractive nuisance is and how to protect yourself from liability.

What is an attractive nuisance?

An attractive nuisance is anything on your property that can attract children and is a danger to them. Some simple forms of attractive nuisances include pools, tree houses and swing sets. All of these features will naturally attract children to your property and could potentially cause them harm. For example, a pool would be attractive to a young child, but they could potentially enter the pool and drown on your property, which makes the pool dangerous.

Protecting against legal liability

Under premises liability law, a homeowner can be held responsible for any injuries or deaths that occur to children who enter their property because of an attractive nuisance. As a homeowner, it’s best to evaluate your property and determine what features could be considered attractive nuisances. You should make a list and verify it with an attorney to ensure that you know exactly what features could result in legal liability for you.

Once you have a list of potential attractive nuisances on your property, it’s time to protect yourself. One of the best ways to prevent accidents is to install a fence around your property or the individual nuisances. This way, any children trying to entering your property will be stopped before doing so.

Attractive nuisances can be a big problem for unsuspecting homeowners. It’s a good idea to take preventative measures to protect children from any dangerous items on your property. If you need help determining what your potential attractive nuisances are, it’s best to contact an attorney to help.