If you are representing a client who has been injured on another person’s property, a lot of information needs to be verified before determining who is responsible for their injuries. You need to be confident that your client is pursuing the right strategy to receive compensation for their injuries, pain, and suffering, and that means understanding who is responsible and whether that person can pay.

In a premises liability case, the answers to this question could involve quite a bit of research. When someone is injured on someone else’s property, one of the main questions to answer is whether the owner or the occupier is the one responsible for your client’s injuries. Answering this question could make a significant difference to the amount of compensation your client will receive. Once you answer the question of who is likely at fault, the next step is finding out whether there is enough money available to compensate your client. This could depend on whether there is an insurance policy to cover your client’s injuries and whether the at-fault party has sufficient assets to pay out in any judgment. A quick asset search can help you fulfill your duty to your client and decide on the right approach to take. Here are a couple of reasons why an asset search can be especially useful in a premises liability case:

  1. It makes a substantial difference who is responsible for the property where your client is injured. A lot can depend on where your client is injured on the property, and who is responsible for maintaining the area where your client is injured. In some cases, it is the owner, or owner-occupier, other times a renter or leaseholder is responsible, say if the injury takes place in a common area. It matters who is responsible because an owner may have more assets at their disposal than a renter or leaseholder. An asset search can quickly determine whether the at-fault party has assets to pay out in a judgment at a personal injury trial.
  2. Not everyone who is responsible for a property is aware of their responsibility and has the right forms of insurance to cover it (i.e., renter’s insurance, premises liability insurance). People who are subletting a property for example might be responsible for your client’s injuries but have no form of insurance to cover this. In these cases, your client might have to pursue a personal injury lawsuit to get compensation for their injuries.
  3. You have no way of knowing the business owner or owner’s financial status with regards to their property. The mortgage could be underwater, the business owner could be behind with the lease etc. The person responsible might have assets to pay out, but then again, they might not. Doing a quick asset search can help determine the value of any personal injury case to your client.
  4. Injuries that happen on a property can be serious and often happen to vulnerable people like old folks or children (slipping and falling can be particularly dangerous for elderly people, and children are more likely to suffer serious dog bites). You are responsible for making your best efforts to ensure your client is “made whole” for their injuries. If an at-fault party has the resources to cover your client’s injuries in full, you and your client should be aware of this. People who might seem to have few upfront assets can have assets locked up in real estate, business interests or a family trust. A quick and easy asset search can uncover these assets.

Conducting an asset search with Asset Searches Plus, Inc., can cost as little as $185 with a turn-around time of one business day. A quick and convenient asset search can turn up both assets and liabilities, including, but not limited to, real estate, boats, planes and motor vehicles, limited partnerships, trusts, inheritance, licenses and patents, and any debts or judgments. When you are doing your due diligence for a client injured in an accident on a premises, an asset search helps you to establish a strategy that your client can rely on when they are looking for relief and compensation for their injuries.

For additional information, please contact us at 1(800)290-1012 ext. 111, or at edamaral@assetsearchesplus.com or www.assetsearchesplus.com .