Premises Liability Attorney in Oklahoma

Premises liability is the legal principle that property owners and occupiers must maintain reasonably safe conditions for visitors. When they fail, and someone is injured, the property owner can be held liable for negligence. This includes slip and falls, negligent security, inadequate maintenance, and hazardous conditions.

Oklahoma's statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of injury for most premises liability claims. For claims against government entities (city parks, public buildings), you have only 1 year and must file a written notice within 30-180 days depending on the entity. Missing these deadlines bars your claim forever.

You must prove: (1) the property owner had a duty to maintain safe conditions, (2) a dangerous condition existed, (3) the owner knew or should have known about the hazard, (4) the owner failed to fix or warn about the hazard, and (5) that failure caused your injury. The 'knew or should have known' element is often the most contested.

Possibly. A warning sign doesn't automatically absolve the property owner. Courts consider: Was the sign visible? Was the placement adequate? Was there a safer alternative? Could the hazard have been eliminated entirely? If the warning was inadequate or the hazard unreasonable, you may still have a case.

Negligent security is a form of premises liability where property owners fail to provide adequate security measures, allowing foreseeable criminal acts. Common examples: inadequate lighting in parking garages, broken locks on apartment doors, no security at high-crime locations, or failing to screen employees who harm visitors.

Yes, though it may feel uncomfortable. In most cases, your friend's homeowner's insurance pays—not your friend personally. Social guest injuries often involve: dog bites, swimming pool accidents, unsafe stairs, or deck collapses. Insurance exists precisely for these situations.

Oklahoma's comparative negligence rule applies. You can recover damages if you were less than 50% responsible, but your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you were 25% at fault (e.g., distracted by phone), you recover 75% of damages. Insurance companies aggressively assign fault to victims.

Report the incident to the property owner or manager and request they document it. Photograph the hazard before it's cleaned up. Get witness contact information. Seek medical attention immediately. Keep the shoes you were wearing—they're evidence. Don't give recorded statements to insurance without an attorney.

Yes, if the store knew or should have known about the hazard. Factors include: How long was the water there? Did employees have a reasonable inspection schedule? Were entrance mats provided? Was the weather condition obvious (rain)? Store surveillance footage often proves critical in these cases.

You can recover: medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, and disability. In negligent security cases involving sexual assault or severe criminal acts, damages for psychological trauma can be substantial.

Generally, yes. Commercial property owners who invite customers (invitees) owe the highest duty: to inspect, discover, and repair or warn of hazards. Private homeowners owe lesser duties to licensees (social guests). Trespassers receive the lowest protection—though even they can't be intentionally harmed.

We prove constructive notice through: inspection logs showing inadequate inspections, employee testimony about routine hazards, prior complaints or incidents, violation of industry standards, or the hazard existing long enough that reasonable inspection would have discovered it. A grape on the floor for 5 minutes differs from one there for 5 hours.