Tacoma Personal Injury Attorneys Explain Liability Law
What is Liability Law?
Liability law is exactly what it sounds like: the legal obligation to be held accountable for one’s actions or lack thereof. Liability law pertains to both civil and criminal law in that it can relate to a wide variety of different areas including debts, contracts, torts, taxes, and other government fines.
The arguments presented by plaintiffs in liability lawsuits must aim to both: 1) prove that whatever allegations the defendant is accused of are true and 2) that the defendant is in fact liable to the plaintiff for their actions or non-actions. In order to establish that liability, evidence must be presented to indicate the defendant’s duty to perform or not perform whatever actions relate to the case, the defendant’s breach of or failure to fulfill that duty, and the ways that this breach or failure caused the plaintiff to incur injury, harm or losses of another kind.
A variety of different entities can be held legally liable depending on the situation. Here are some examples:
- Joint liability involves multiple parties being declared at fault.
- Vicarious liability occurs when a superior (such as an employer) is held liable for actions they instructed their employee(s) to commit.
- In cases of strict liability, a defendant can be held liable for their violations even if they were not aware that they were committing them.
- Limited liability takes place when business investors or owners are only held responsible for the amount of capital they contributed to a venture or less.
- Plaintiff/victim liability is additionally sometimes called contributory negligence, and occurs when a plaintiff and victim share liability for any harm incurred by the victim (this usually results in reduced or barred damages.)
- There’s also third party liability, wherein a person can be held liable for harm sustained by a third party (for instance, if a lessee’s sister were injured on the landlord’s property due to the landlord’s negligence, the landlord could be held liable.)
How Liability Law Pertains to You
Having a basic knowledge of liability law can empower you to better understand the commitments you make via contracts or in other realms. It can also help clarify what you may be entitled to from people, corporations, government agencies or other entities you’ve made agreements with. This can be useful with regards to almost all of the many agreements you make on a regular basis, such as: leases or other rental contracts, insurance, taxes, medical care, educational or credit card debt, employment contracts, and others. Product liability or manufacturer’s liability also may pertain to you, should you find yourself harmed by a negligent or unsafe product.
If you think that you might be at risk for a liability suit against you, contact your Tacoma Personal Injury Attorneys right away. Insurance can sometimes cover liability, but usually only in the case of harmful or negligent actions rather than contract breaches. You should also contact your Personal Injury Attorney as soon as possible if you think that someone else may be liable for some kind of damages to you. Even if you’re not certain, the attorneys at Evergreen Personal Injury Counsel are here to help.
With years of experience, we specialize in liability law are well equipped to help you assess the situation. Call 253-472-6000 to schedule a consultation immediately.