When you invite someone onto your property or into your home, you legally owe them a duty of care. If you don’t maintain your property so visitors can be safe, they may be able to sue you for their injuries.

You should understand premises liability laws when deciding how much coverage to get from Cross Creek Insurance serving Hope Hills, NC.  But what if the person who was injured was not there at your invitation, but came to commit a crime?

As a General Rule, No

The law does not protect trespassers from injury, so someone who comes to commit a crime, such as burglary, cannot normally recover for any injuries. However, this is not a punishment.

The reason the law does not protect trespassers is because property owners will normally have no way of predicting when trespassers will be there. Also, they will have no way to warn trespassers of specific hazards like loose floorboards or water.

Willful and Wanton Conduct

A normal trespasser may be able to sue you and win if he can prove that you should have been able to predict the trespass, such as when your place is commonly used as a shortcut. On the opposite end of the scale, you may be able to shoot a burglar if you felt the person was a danger to you or your family.

On the other hand, if you have something valuable and want to protect it, you cannot set a trap for the burglar. You will be responsible for the injuries of the burglar. You can also never use deadly force to protect property. You can consider all these issues when choosing a policy from Cross Creek Insurance serving Hope Hills, NC.