A Premises Liability Advocate Who Understands The Insurance Industry

What a lot of people fail to realize when it comes to personal injuries is that homeowners and property owners have a significant duty to safety. If you have been on someone else’s property and fallen, slipped, or otherwise took an injury, it’s possible they are at fault. That’s when you want to talk to a premises liability attorney.

My name is Melissa Kelley, and as a premises liability attorney for people in Hampton Roads and across this part of Virginia, I know what my clients face. There’s uncertainty and embarrassment in a slip-and-fall that can get in the way of pursuing compensation. However, if you do not act, you may end up with greater medical bills than you realize.

The Duty Of Property Owners

As mentioned above, property owners have certain responsibilities for the people who visit their property. The primary duty is safety. If a person is not safe to utilize the property, and that person takes an injury, the property owner is at fault. This extends to:

• Slips and falls: The classic example is slipping on something in a grocery store, but the danger can extend to slippery sidewalks or tripping hazards on a premises. A property owner with these hazards must take steps to warn visitors to avoid fault.
• Animal attacks: The most common type of animal attack is a dog bite, but they aren’t the only type. If you have dangerous wild animals on your property, you must take steps to warn people or place barriers on your property.
• Negligent security: The most notable type of negligent security is a robbery in a parking garage, but there are many other examples. Hotels, parking garages, and restaurants must all inform and take steps to protect their patrons.
• Inadequate maintenance: Faulty maintenance can cause hazards and injuries. Any instance where normal maintenance would have kept a place from becoming dangerous is the fault of the owner.

Additionally, an owner isn’t only a homeowner or a store owner. An owner of the property could be the commercial property owner of a building in which there was an issue, such as a construction accident or toxic exposure. The property owner – in some cases, could be the municipality.

You Must Act Quickly In Any Premises Liability Case

The truth of the matter is that every single premises liability claim, every personal injury claim, comes with a ticking clock. Your premises liability attorney will not often call it that, but the statute of limitations is very real, and if you do not file suit in time, you lose your chance.

In Virginia, the statue of limitations for most claims is two years from the date of the original accident. However, if the owner of the property is the municipality or the state, you have much less time, six months and one year respectively.

While these timelines seem reasonably long enough, recovering from an injury while dealing with the rest of your life goes fast. You can fall one day, get in a cast the next, get out of the cast and then live your life. The deadline can come and go without warning.

You Have Problems. I Want To Help You Solve Them.

I serve my clients in two roles: one as a premises liability attorney. In that role, I provide legal information and representation. I pursue compensation using all of the tools at my disposal from negotiation to in-court litigation.

My other role is as a counselor. I spent 20 years as a litigation manager for an insurance company, and I know how they develop their strategies. That insight helps in my role as a litigator, but it also helps as a counselor. I’m here to help you find the way forward, whatever that is. I want to help you solve your problems. Call my office at or send an email using this form.