Rhome Premises Liability Lawyer

Get a Free Case Review

SERIOUS ATTORNEYS FOR SERIOUS INJURIES

Practice Areas

FREE CONSULTATION
five-stars-BBGgold

Chandler Ross is the best hands down! You can not go wrong with these attorneys!

— Tracy P.

A premises liability claim gives injured people the right to hold property owners accountable when unsafe conditions cause harm. If you were hurt on someone else’s property in Rhome, Texas, whether at a local business near U.S. Highway 287, a rental home, or a commercial building along Farm-to-Market Road 407, Texas law may give you a path to compensation. The personal injury lawyers at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys in Denton, Texas, are ready to help you understand your rights and fight for the money you deserve. Call us today at (940) 800-2500 for a free consultation.

Table of Contents

What Texas Premises Liability Law Actually Requires of Property Owners in Rhome

Texas premises liability law holds property owners, lessees, and occupants responsible for injuries caused by unsafe conditions on their property. The core principle is simple: if you own or control land, you have a legal duty to the people who come onto it. The level of that duty depends on why the person was there in the first place.

Texas law divides visitors into three categories: invitees, licensees, and trespassers. Each category carries a different standard of care.

Invitees are people who enter property with the owner’s knowledge and for the mutual benefit of both parties. Think of a customer shopping at a store on U.S. 287 near Rhome, or a patient visiting a clinic. Landowners owe invitees the highest degree of care, including a duty to exercise ordinary care to protect them from risks the owner is aware of and risks the owner should discover through reasonable inspection.

Licensees are people who enter with permission but primarily for their own benefit, such as a social guest or a delivery worker. For licensees, the landowner must either warn of dangerous conditions or make those conditions safe. The key difference from invitees is that the owner has no duty to inspect for hazards they do not already know about.

Trespassers receive the lowest protection. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 75.007, an owner, lessee, or occupant of land does not owe a duty of care to a trespasser and is not liable for any injury to a trespasser, except that they owe a duty to refrain from injuring a trespasser willfully, wantonly, or through gross negligence.

One important exception involves children. Texas law recognizes the attractive nuisance doctrine. If a property has a dangerous artificial condition, such as an unfenced pool or an abandoned piece of equipment, and the owner knew or should have known that children were likely to wander onto the property, the owner can be held liable for a child’s injuries even if that child was technically trespassing.

Understanding which category applies to your situation is the first step in any premises liability case. The team at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys can review the facts of your case and tell you exactly where you stand under Texas law.

Common Types of Premises Liability Injuries Seen in Rhome and Wise County

Premises liability covers a wide range of dangerous conditions, and Rhome residents encounter them in everyday places. From the parking lots of businesses near the intersection of Highway 114 and Business 287, to older commercial buildings in the Decatur area, hazardous property conditions exist throughout Wise County.

Slip and fall accidents are among the most common premises liability claims. Wet floors with no warning signs, uneven pavement, torn carpeting, and broken steps all create serious fall risks. A fall may seem minor, but it can result in broken bones, spinal injuries, or traumatic brain injuries that change your life permanently.

Negligent security is another major category. Tenants in an apartment building could be harmed by intruders who bypass weak locks or unsecured windows, and shoppers could be attacked in parking lots that lack sufficient security patrols. When a property owner fails to provide reasonable security and someone is harmed as a result, that owner may be liable.

Swimming pool accidents are also a serious concern, especially in residential neighborhoods. Texas law requires fencing around pools precisely because of the danger they pose, particularly to young children.

Other common premises liability situations include:

  • Falling objects from poorly maintained shelving or construction sites
  • Fires caused by faulty wiring or missing fire safety equipment
  • Dog bites on private property where the owner failed to restrain the animal
  • Staircase collapses or broken railings in rental properties
  • Toxic exposure from hazardous materials on commercial or industrial land

Many of these injuries overlap with other serious harm categories, including catastrophic injuries and traumatic brain injuries that require long-term medical care. If your injury falls into any of these categories, you need a legal team that understands how to build a strong case. Call Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500 to talk about what happened to you.

How to Prove a Premises Liability Claim Under Texas Law

Winning a premises liability case in Texas requires proving four specific things. You cannot simply show that you were hurt on someone’s property. You must show that the owner’s failure to meet their legal duty caused your injury.

The four elements are:

  1. The owner owed you a duty of care. Your status as an invitee, licensee, or trespasser determines the level of duty owed to you.
  2. The owner breached that duty. The owner failed to fix a known hazard, failed to warn you about it, or failed to inspect the property when they should have.
  3. The breach caused your injury. The dangerous condition must be the direct cause of your harm, not just a background circumstance.
  4. You suffered real damages. You must have actual losses, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, or other measurable harm.

As an invitee, you must show that the owner had actual knowledge of a danger, or that the owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition. Actual knowledge can be proved by showing the owner knew the condition had caused an injury in the past, or that the condition was reported to them before your injury but was not resolved.

Texas also follows a proportionate responsibility system under Chapter 33 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. This means that if you are found partially at fault for your own injury, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If your share of fault exceeds 50 percent, you cannot recover at all. Property owners and their insurance companies routinely try to shift blame onto injured people to reduce or eliminate their liability. Having a skilled attorney in your corner protects you from that tactic.

Gathering evidence quickly is critical. Security camera footage gets overwritten. Witnesses forget details. Physical hazards get repaired after the fact. The sooner you contact Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys, the better your chances of preserving the evidence you need.

Special Rules That Can Affect Your Premises Liability Case in Texas

Texas law includes several specific rules that can limit or expand a property owner’s liability depending on the circumstances. Knowing these rules matters, because they can directly affect whether your claim succeeds.

Recreational use immunity is one of the most important. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 75, if an owner, lessee, or occupant of agricultural land gives permission to another to enter the premises for recreation, the owner does not assure that the premises are safe for that purpose, does not owe a greater degree of care than is owed to a trespasser, and does not assume responsibility for any injury to any individual caused by any act of the person granted permission. This protection can apply to hunting, fishing, and similar outdoor activities on private land near Rhome.

However, this immunity has limits. Subsections covering recreational land use do not limit the liability of an owner who has been grossly negligent or has acted with malicious intent or in bad faith. So if a landowner knew about a dangerous condition and deliberately concealed it, the immunity does not protect them.

Government-owned property involves different rules. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 101.022, which is part of the Texas Tort Claims Act, if a claim arises from a premise defect on government-owned land, the governmental unit generally owes only the duty that a private person owes to a licensee, not the higher invitee standard, unless the visitor paid for access to the property. Claims against government entities also involve strict notice requirements and shorter deadlines.

Seller liability can also come into play in some premises cases. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 82.003, a seller who did not manufacture a product is generally not liable for harm caused by that product unless specific conditions are met, such as the seller having actual knowledge of a defect at the time of supply.

These rules are not always straightforward, and the wrong assumption about which rule applies can sink an otherwise valid claim. The attorneys at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys know Texas premises liability law and can identify which rules apply to your specific situation.

What Compensation You Can Recover in a Rhome Premises Liability Case

Texas law allows injured people to seek compensation for both economic and non-economic losses in a premises liability case. The goal is to put you back in the position you would have been in if the injury had never happened.

Economic damages cover your measurable financial losses. These include:

  • Past and future medical expenses, including hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, and medications
  • Lost wages from time missed at work
  • Reduced earning capacity if your injury limits your ability to work long-term
  • Property damage caused by the incident

Non-economic damages cover losses that do not come with a dollar figure attached but are just as real. These include physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. If a serious injury has changed the way you live, work, or interact with your family, those losses count.

In cases involving extreme misconduct, such as a property owner who deliberately concealed a known hazard or acted with gross negligence, Texas courts may also award exemplary damages. These are designed to punish the wrongdoer and discourage similar behavior in the future.

If a premises liability injury results in death, the victim’s family may have a wrongful death claim under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 71.002. That statute allows surviving family members to seek damages for the wrongful act or neglect that caused their loved one’s death.

Every case is different, and past results in other matters do not guarantee the same outcome in yours. What we can promise is that Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys will work hard to identify every category of loss you have suffered and fight to recover the full value of your claim. Call us at (940) 800-2500 or reach out online to get started.

Why Rhome Residents Trust Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys With Their Premises Liability Claims

Rhome is a tight-knit community in Wise County, sitting along U.S. Highway 287 between Fort Worth and Decatur. Residents here know their neighbors, shop at local businesses, and spend time at community gathering spots like Veterans Memorial Park and Rhome Family Park. When someone is hurt because a property owner failed to keep their premises safe, it affects real people with real lives in this community.

Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys is based in Denton, Texas, and serves clients throughout the North Texas region, including Rhome and Wise County. We understand the local courts, including the Wise County District Court in Decatur, and we know how insurance companies in this region operate when they receive a premises liability claim.

We handle premises liability cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. There are no upfront costs and no hourly bills. You can focus on recovering while we focus on your case.

Time matters in these cases. Texas generally allows two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, and missing that deadline can bar your claim entirely. Claims against government entities may have even shorter notice deadlines. Do not wait. The sooner you call, the sooner we can start building your case.

Reach out to Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys today at (940) 800-2500. Our team is ready to listen, answer your questions, and help you take the next step toward justice.

Attorney responsible for this content: Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys, principal office located in Denton, Texas. This page is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future matter, as results depend on the specific facts and law applicable to each case.

FAQs About Rhome Premises Liability Claims

How long do I have to file a premises liability lawsuit in Texas?

Texas law generally gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, including premises liability claims. This deadline is set by the Texas statute of limitations. If you were injured on government-owned property, you may have a much shorter window to file a formal notice of claim before you can sue. Missing either deadline can end your case before it begins, so contact an attorney as soon as possible after your injury.

What if I was partially at fault for my injury on someone else’s property?

Texas follows a proportionate responsibility system under Chapter 33 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. If you share some blame for your injury, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found 20 percent at fault and your damages total $100,000, you would recover $80,000. However, if your share of fault is greater than 50 percent, Texas law bars you from recovering anything. Insurance companies often try to push fault onto injured people, which is exactly why having an attorney matters.

Can I file a premises liability claim if I was hurt at a friend’s house in Rhome?

Yes. Social guests are classified as licensees under Texas law. A homeowner owes licensees a duty to warn of known hazards that are not obvious and that the guest would not reasonably discover on their own. If your friend knew about a broken step, a slippery floor, or another dangerous condition and failed to warn you, they may be liable for your injuries. In many cases, a homeowner’s insurance policy covers these situations, so the claim does not necessarily come directly out of your friend’s pocket.

What should I do immediately after being injured on someone else’s property?

First, get medical attention right away, even if your injuries seem minor at first. Some serious injuries, including head injuries and soft tissue damage, do not show full symptoms immediately. Report the incident to the property owner or manager and ask for a written incident report. Take photos of the hazard that caused your injury before it is repaired. Collect names and contact information from any witnesses. Then call an attorney before you give any recorded statements to the property owner’s insurance company.

Does premises liability cover injuries that happen in parking lots or on sidewalks?

Yes. Premises liability extends to all areas that a property owner controls, including parking lots, sidewalks adjacent to the property, stairwells, and common areas. If a pothole in a store’s parking lot caused you to trip, or a poorly lit walkway led to a fall, those conditions are the owner’s responsibility to maintain. The same duty to inspect, warn, and repair applies to outdoor areas just as it does to indoor spaces. If the hazard was on government-controlled property, such as a public sidewalk, different rules under the Texas Tort Claims Act may apply.

More Resources for Rhome, TX