Protecting Your Rights After a Property Injury
Walking through the French Quarter, shopping at Lakeside Mall, or visiting a friend's apartment in Mid-City should never end in a trip to the emergency room. Unfortunately, when property owners neglect their responsibility to keep their premises safe, innocent people suffer the consequences.
If you have been hurt because of a hazardous condition on someone else's land or inside a building, you need a legal team that understands the nuances of Louisiana law and the local landscape of New Orleans.
At Justin Reese Law Group, we provide aggressive, personalized representation for those injured in premises liability cases. We aren't just a voice on the phone — we are neighbors who know these streets and will fight to ensure you are compensated for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain.
What You Must Prove — And Why You Need Us
Premises liability holds property owners, managers, and tenants responsible for accidents that occur on their property due to unsafe conditions. In New Orleans, these cases are frequent due to aging infrastructure, high-traffic tourist zones, and frequent weather-related hazards. But winning requires more than showing you were injured.
Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 2317.1, You Must Establish:
- Knowledge of the Defect — The property owner had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition before your injury occurred.
- Preventable by Reasonable Care — The defect could have been repaired, removed, or adequately warned against through reasonable maintenance practices.
- Failure to Act — The owner failed to exercise that reasonable care, and that failure directly caused your injury and damages.
Louisiana also follows a comparative negligence rule — meaning the defense will often try to blame you, claiming you were distracted or that the hazard was "open and obvious." We are prepared to counter these tactics and ensure your recovery isn't unfairly reduced.
What to Do Immediately After an Injury on Someone Else's Property
Your actions in the first few minutes after a property injury can determine the success of your case. Property owners and their insurers begin building their defense immediately — you need to protect yourself just as fast.
Report the Incident
Tell the manager or property owner immediately. Insist they create a written incident report and request a copy for your records. Do not sign any statements or accept blame at the scene.
Document the Scene
Take photos of exactly what caused your injury — the liquid, the hole, the broken stair, the missing warning sign, the inadequate lighting. Visual evidence is often the most powerful proof of negligence.
Gather Witness Information
Get names and phone numbers of anyone who saw what happened or the hazardous condition. Eyewitness testimony can be decisive in disputed premises liability cases.
Seek Medical Attention
Go to Tulane Medical Center or the nearest ER right away. Injuries like concussions and internal bruising don't always show symptoms immediately — and delays in care hurt both your health and your claim.
Do Not Talk to Insurance Adjusters
Do not give a recorded statement to the property owner's insurance company before speaking with us. Adjusters are trained to minimize payouts — anything you say will be used against you.
Common Types of Premises Liability Accidents in New Orleans
The Crescent City presents unique risks — from loose floorboards in 18th-century buildings to puddles of water in modern supermarkets. Our firm handles a wide variety of premises liability cases across every type of property and every kind of hazard.
Slip & Fall Accidents
The most common form of premises liability — occurring at major intersections like Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue, inside grocery stores, and on uneven pavement throughout the city. Spilled liquids, freshly mopped floors without warning signs, and deteriorated walkways cause devastating injuries daily.
Inadequate Security & Lighting
New Orleans nightlife is world-famous, but property owners in the French Quarter and along Bourbon Street have a duty to keep their patrons safe. If you were assaulted in a parking garage with broken lights or a hotel with insufficient security, the property owner may be liable for your damages.
Structural Failures & Falling Objects
In the Garden District and Marigny, older structures often suffer from rot, loose balconies, and crumbling stairs. In retail environments like Canal Place, falling merchandise from high shelves can cause severe head and neck injuries requiring surgery and long-term rehabilitation.
Elevator & Escalator Malfunctions
In high-rise buildings and hotels throughout the CBD, mechanical failures in elevators or escalators can lead to catastrophic falls, crushing injuries, or entrapment — injuries that carry significant liability for building owners and maintenance contractors.
Swimming Pool & Recreational Accidents
Hotels and residential complexes throughout New Orleans have a heightened duty of care around pools. Slippery pool decks, inadequate fencing, and lack of lifeguard supervision are all grounds for premises liability claims.
Government Property & Sidewalk Injuries
Claims against the City of New Orleans for dangerous sidewalks, potholes, or poorly maintained public spaces involve different rules and stricter notice deadlines. We navigate these complex government entity claims with the urgency they require.
Dangerous Locations & High-Risk Zones in New Orleans
Accidents can happen anywhere, but certain areas in New Orleans are notorious for premises liability incidents. Our team is intimately familiar with these high-risk zones and the specific property owners and insurers who operate within them.
Retail & Shopping Hubs
Magazine Street, the Riverwalk Outlets, and Lakeside Mall see thousands of visitors daily. Crowded aisles, poor maintenance, and inadequate spill response protocols regularly lead to serious trips and falls.
Hospitality District & Convention Center
Hotels and venues near the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center are frequent sites for injuries ranging from pool area slips to escalator accidents — with complex liability structures involving management companies and property owners.
Medical Complexes
High-traffic areas around Ochsner Medical Center and University Medical Center often have slick floors and heavy foot traffic — creating ironic premises liability hazards at facilities designed to treat injuries.
French Quarter & Bourbon Street
Centuries-old buildings, uneven flagstone sidewalks, and nightlife establishments create a perfect environment for premises liability injuries — with complex ownership structures that require aggressive investigation to untangle liability.
Proving Negligence: The Evidence We Gather
To beat the big insurance companies and defense teams of major corporations and property owners, we leave no stone unturned. Our investigation is thorough, fast, and targeted — because evidence disappears quickly and the clock starts the moment you are injured.
Site Inspection
We visit the location — whether it's on Claiborne Avenue or a small shop in Gretna — to document the hazardous condition before it is repaired, altered, or painted over by the property owner.
Maintenance Records
We subpoena maintenance records and prior incident reports to see if the owner was aware of the hazardous condition months or even years before your accident — establishing a pattern of negligence.
Surveillance Footage
In New Orleans, many streets and businesses are under constant video surveillance. We move quickly to preserve this evidence before it is deleted — typically within 30 days of an incident.
Expert Consultation
We work with engineers and safety consultants who testify on how the property violated Louisiana building codes or industry safety standards — giving your claim the technical authority to stand up in court.
Directions to Justin Reese Law Group
Office Address: 320 Huey P Long Ave., Suite 200, Gretna, LA 70053 — conveniently located just across the river from downtown New Orleans, easily accessible from the Westbank, the East, and the CBD.
From Downtown New Orleans (CBD)
- Take the Crescent City Connection (US-90 Business West) across the Mississippi River.
- Take the exit toward Huey P Long Ave / Gretna.
- Continue onto the Westbank Expressway frontage road.
- Turn right onto Huey P Long Ave. Our office is at 320 Huey P Long Ave., Suite 200 on your right.
From Metairie / Kenner
- Take I-10 East toward New Orleans.
- Follow signs for the Westbank / US-90 W.
- Cross the Crescent City Connection.
- Exit toward Huey P Long Ave / Gretna and turn right onto Huey P Long Ave.
From the Lower Westbank
- Take the Westbank Expressway (US-90 Business East) toward Gretna.
- Exit at Huey P Long Ave.
- Turn left onto Huey P Long Ave under the expressway.
- Our office is at 320 Huey P Long Ave., Suite 200 on your left.
New Orleans Premises Liability FAQ
For incidents occurring on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana provides a two-year prescriptive period to file a personal injury lawsuit. For incidents before that date, the deadline is one year. Either way, this is one of the shortest windows in the country — contact a lawyer as soon as possible, as surveillance footage is often deleted within 30 days.
Louisiana uses a pure comparative fault system. Even if you were 30% at fault for not seeing a hazard, you can still recover 70% of your total damages. We fight to minimize the percentage of fault assigned to you — because every percentage point the defense assigns to you costs you money.
At Justin Reese Law Group, we work on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront. No retainers, no hourly billing. We only get paid if we successfully recover money for you — meaning our interests are completely aligned with yours from day one.
Yes, but claims against government entities like the City of New Orleans have different requirements and stricter notice deadlines than standard premises liability claims. These deadlines can be even shorter than the standard prescriptive period. If a government entity is involved in your injury, contact an attorney immediately — the clock starts the moment the incident occurs.
You may be entitled to compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, and scarring or disfigurement. We evaluate every dimension of your loss — not just your current bills — before recommending any settlement.
Contact a New Orleans Premises Liability Lawyer Today
Don't let a property owner's negligence dictate your future. If you are searching for a New Orleans premises liability lawyer who understands the local landscape and the legal complexities of your case, contact Justin Reese Law Group. We are dedicated to holding negligent parties accountable and getting you the justice you deserve.
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