Property owners or occupiers in Georgia and around the country face premises liability lawsuits when their visitors suffer injuries because of dangerous conditions that they knew about or should have known about, and those dangerous conditions are sometimes caused by landscaping companies that ignored safety considerations, failed to meet accepted standards or took shortcuts. Negligent landscaping companies may then be sued by property owners or occupiers hoping to recover the damages they have been ordered to pay to premises liability plaintiffs.
Poor lighting and tripping hazards
Most premises liability lawsuits are filed by slip-and-fall accident victims. Landscapers can cause tripping hazards by failing to trim branches or roots or installing uneven paving stones. Lighting choices can also make accidents more likely to happen. Spotlights can add drama to a landscaping project, but areas where visitors will be walking should be brightly illuminated. However, lights should be placed carefully to avoid dazzling visitors.
Unpruned bushes and falling branches
Trimming tree branches and pruning bushes creates a more attractive environment for visitors, and making sure that these landscaping chores are taken care of regularly also improves safety. Dead tree branches can weigh hundreds of pounds, which means they can cause serious injury or death if they fall without warning. Unpruned bushes do not create a physical danger, but they can cause accidents if they impede visibility or force visitors to leave paths and walk on uneven surfaces.
Avoiding premises liability lawsuits
Property owners and occupiers may be able to avoid premises liability lawsuits by hiring qualified and capable landscaping companies and inspecting their grounds regularly for dangerous conditions. When hazards are discovered, the area should be closed until the dangerous condition has been addressed. If closing a hazardous area off is not an option, prominent signs should be placed to warn visitors about the danger.
