We are usually responsible for our own decisions, but we can also suffer unfairly from the decisions of others. Owners and managers of businesses with public spaces or invited guests owe those people a clean and safe place to congregate or move through. If they fail, they may be liable for the results.

A woman is suing the owner of a party venue in Campbell County after she experienced an injury on the property. She entered the property during a rainy evening and left under darkness. Without exterior lighting covering the parking lot and outdoor walkway, she tripped on her way to her car and broke her arm as a result of the fall.

Surgery and hospitalization cost the victim around $52,000, and her family sued the owner of the venue for failing to maintain adequate lighting outside the building. The defendant claimed that a manager switched on the outdoor lights as she left but did not know the bulbs had burned out.

The court determined that the owner had no documented plan to inspect or maintain outdoor lighting fixtures. It was part of the court’s decision to deny the defendant’s application for dismissal because public spaces must be regularly maintained to ensure the safety all of passersby or invitees.

Victims of negligence or miscommunication by property owners and managers may have a case in civil court for financial damages. Tennessee civil court juries may find for plaintiffs if a case cannot be settled or mediated. An attorney can help represent plaintiffs’ interests during the process of filing a suit, working with defendants and concluding things satisfactorily.

Source: Tennessee Court of Appeals, “Cynthia L. Christian et al. v. Ayers L.P. d/b/a Ms. Lassie’s Lodge,” accessed June 14, 2018