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Property accidents often come from routine hazards: cracked sidewalks, icy walkways, cluttered store aisles, poor lighting, or broken railings.
If you were hurt because of unsafe property conditions, a Sterling Heights premises liability lawyer can help determine whether the property owner or manager may be legally responsible.
Premises liability law in Sterling Heights and Macomb County covers falls, negligent security, pool accidents, and structural defects at both commercial and residential properties.
Goodman Acker evaluates who controlled or maintained the property, uncovers responsible parties, and pursues compensation for medical bills, lost income, and long-term harms.
Contact our Sterling Heights office at 248-483-5000 to learn whether you have a premises liability claim and what steps to take next.
Premises Liability Cases We Handle in Sterling Heights and Macomb County
Goodman Acker has represented injured people across Michigan for more than three decades, with deep experience in premises liability claims filed in the Macomb County Circuit Court.
Our Sterling Heights office at 13854 Lakeside Circle serves clients throughout the county, from the Van Dyke Avenue corridor to the Hall Road commercial district.
Premises liability applies to a wide range of property accident types. Sterling Heights’ mix of busy retail centers, large apartment complexes, and aging commercial buildings creates conditions that produce these types of injuries regularly.
Michigan property owners may face liability for the following types of property accidents:
- Slip, trip, and fall injuries caused by wet floors, icy walkways, cracked pavement, or cluttered aisles in stores and commercial properties
- Falling merchandise or objects that strike customers inside retail stores, warehouses, or construction-adjacent areas
- Negligent security in parking lots, apartment buildings, or commercial properties where foreseeable criminal activity harms a visitor or tenant
- Swimming pool accidents involving missing barriers, broken gates, absent supervision, or lack of required safety equipment at residential or commercial pools
- Structural and maintenance failures such as broken railings, collapsing stairs, defective elevators, or poorly maintained sidewalks on commercial or rental properties
Property owners who fail to address hazards they know about, or that a reasonable inspection would reveal, may face legal liability when someone gets hurt. The type of property where the accident occurred often determines which legal standards and defenses apply.
Who Is Responsible When a Property Accident Happens in Macomb County?
Liability for a property accident in Michigan depends on who owned, controlled, or maintained the property where the injury occurred. In many Sterling Heights cases, more than one party may share responsibility.
Michigan premises liability law assigns different levels of duty depending on the injured person’s reason for being on the property. The table below outlines the three visitor categories and the corresponding legal obligation.
| VISITOR STATUS | EXAMPLES | Property Owner’s Legal Duty |
| Invitee | Customer in a store, patient in a clinic | Inspect for hazards, repair dangerous conditions, and warn of known risks |
| Licensee | Social guest at a private home | Warn of known hidden dangers |
| Trespasser | Person without permission to be on property | Refrain from intentional or reckless harm |
Most Sterling Heights premises liability cases involve invitees at commercial properties. Shoppers, restaurant patrons, and tenants using common areas of apartment buildings all qualify as invitees under Michigan law.
Beyond the property owner, other parties may bear responsibility for the conditions that caused your injury:
- The property management company that handles day-to-day maintenance and safety
- A commercial tenant that controls the area where the accident occurred
- A contractor or subcontractor responsible for snow removal, cleaning, or repairs
- A landlord who owns the building but delegates management to a third party
Identifying the right defendant matters, because the liable party’s insurance policy determines the practical ceiling on any recovery.
A premises liability attorney in Sterling Heights may need to look beyond the building’s name on the door to find who actually controlled the space.
How Does Michigan Protect Tenants Injured in Rental Properties?
Michigan law gives residential tenants a layer of protection that goes beyond standard premises liability. Under MCL 554.139, every residential lease in Michigan includes a built-in covenant that the landlord will keep the premises and common areas in reasonable repair and fit for their intended use.
Why This Statute Matters in Sterling Heights
Sterling Heights has a large population of renters living in apartment complexes and multi-unit buildings. Many of these properties sit along busy corridors like Van Dyke Avenue, Mound Road, and the Dodge Park area.
When a landlord neglects maintenance on stairwells, parking lots, walkways, or shared entryways, tenants who get hurt may pursue a claim under MCL 554.139 in addition to a standard negligence claim.
Notice Requirements May Differ
A Michigan Court of Appeals case, McNeal v. Lincolnshire, looked at whether tenants must give the landlord notice before filing certain claims under MCL 554.139. The rule can depend on the facts of the case.
This means a landlord may face liability for failing to keep the property in reasonable repair even without a formal complaint on file. Standard premises liability claims, by contrast, typically require proof that the property owner knew or had reason to know about the hazard.
This distinction may give tenants in Sterling Heights apartment complexes a potential legal path that other types of visitors on other types of property do not have. The specifics depend on the facts of each case and how the court applies the statute.
What Defenses Do Sterling Heights Property Owners Raise?
Property owners and their insurers rely on a handful of standard arguments to reduce or avoid paying claims. Knowing what those defenses look like makes it easier to prepare for them.
The most common defense in Michigan premises liability cases was historically the open and obvious doctrine. Before 2023, a property owner could argue that the hazard was visible to a reasonable person, and that argument alone could end the case before trial.
In Kandil-Elsayed v. F&E Oil, Inc., 512 Mich. 95 (2023), the Michigan Supreme Court overruled that framework. The visibility of a hazard now factors into breach and comparative fault, not duty. Property owners still raise the argument, but it no longer eliminates their liability automatically.
Michigan uses a modified comparative fault rule. If you are more than 50% at fault, Michigan law may bar recovery of noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering. Economic damages may still be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Property owners and their adjusters push aggressively on fault allocation in every premises liability case.
What Steps Matter After a Property Accident in Sterling Heights?
Taking the right steps after a property accident in Macomb County strengthens your ability to hold the responsible party accountable. The early days after an injury set the foundation for the entire claim.
These steps help protect a premises liability case from the start:
- Photograph the hazardous condition, the surrounding area, and any visible injuries before the property owner has a chance to make repairs
- Report the incident to the property owner, manager, or store staff, and ask for a copy of any written incident report
- Get medical attention promptly, even for injuries that feel minor at first, to create a clear medical record connecting your injury to the fall or accident
- Save the shoes and clothing you wore at the time, because the property owner’s insurance adjuster may argue that your footwear contributed to the fall
- Write down the names and contact information of any witnesses who saw the accident or the condition that caused it
Evidence in premises liability cases has a short shelf life. A puddle gets mopped. Ice gets salted. A broken railing gets fixed. The condition that caused the injury may disappear within hours if it is not documented first.
What Compensation and Deadlines Apply to Macomb County Premises Liability Cases?
Michigan premises liability claims may seek compensation for the full range of harm the accident caused.
The value of a case depends on the nature and severity of the injury, the strength of the liability evidence, and the available insurance coverage.
Recoverable damages in a Macomb County property accident case may include:
- Medical bills for emergency treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, and ongoing care
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity tied to the recovery period
- Pain and suffering from the injury and its impact on daily activities
- Permanent disfigurement or loss of mobility resulting from the accident
- Loss of consortium for a spouse affected by the injured person’s condition
Michigan usually gives you three years to file a premises liability lawsuit. Claims against government property may have shorter notice deadlines, and some require written notice within 120 days.
Missing that notice window may permanently block the claim, even though the general three-year filing deadline has not passed.
Call Goodman Acker’s Sterling Heights office at 248-483-5000 to learn whether you may have a claim.
FAQs for Sterling Heights Premises Liability Lawyers
Do I have a premises liability case if I fell in a Sterling Heights apartment building?
You may have a case if the fall occurred due to a hazardous condition that the landlord failed to repair. Michigan tenants have specific protections under MCL 554.139, which requires landlords to keep residential premises and common areas in reasonable repair.
Unlike standard premises liability claims, a claim under this statute may not require proof that you notified the landlord about the condition beforehand, depending on the circumstances.
What if a store manager says I signed something after my fall?
Any document a store asks you to sign after an accident may affect your legal options. Some incident report forms include release language that limits your ability to pursue a claim later.
Reading every document carefully and speaking with a property accident lawyer before signing is the safest approach.
How long do premises liability cases in Macomb County take to resolve?
Most Michigan premises liability cases take between one and three years to resolve, depending on the severity of the injuries, the number of parties involved, and whether the case goes to trial.
Multi-defendant cases involving property owners, management companies, and contractors tend to take longer due to disputes over each party’s share of responsibility.
Does my health insurance have to be repaid from a premises liability settlement?
Generally yes. If your health insurer paid medical bills related to the injury, Michigan law may require reimbursement from any settlement or verdict you receive.
Your attorney factors these reimbursement obligations, sometimes called subrogation liens, into the settlement analysis so you understand the net recovery before agreeing to any offer.
What if I tripped on a city sidewalk in Sterling Heights?
A trip and fall on a city-owned sidewalk may qualify as a premises liability claim, but government property cases follow different rules. Depending on the claim type, you may need to provide written notice to the City of Sterling Heights in as few as 120 days after the accident.
Missing that notice window may permanently bar your claim, even though the general three-year filing deadline has not passed. Speaking with an attorney promptly after a fall on public property is a practical first step.
Do I need a lawyer for a property accident in Sterling Heights?
Speaking with a premises liability attorney before accepting a settlement offer or giving a recorded statement is often helpful and can protect your legal options. Insurance adjusters for commercial properties often contact injured people within days of the accident.
Anything you say during that call may be used to reduce the value of your claim or shift blame to you. Goodman Acker offers free case reviews with no upfront cost.
How much does a premises liability lawyer in Sterling Heights charge?
Goodman Acker takes premises liability cases on a contingency fee basis. Your family pays no attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
Contingency fees can vary, but in Michigan personal injury cases they are often about one-third of the recovery, depending on the written fee agreement and court rules.
What if the property owner fixed the hazard after my accident?
Repairs made after an accident do not erase the property owner’s liability for what happened before the fix. However, once a hazard is corrected, the physical evidence of the condition disappears.
Documenting the condition with photos and witness statements before repairs happen is one of the most practical steps you may take to protect your claim.
Hold a Sterling Heights Property Owner Accountable for Your Injuries
Property owners and insurers may try to minimize your claim with early offers, delays, or claims that you do not have a case.
Under Michigan law, property owners must maintain reasonably safe conditions for visitors and tenants. If they fail to do so and you are injured, they may be held accountable.
Goodman Acker’s Sterling Heights office at Lakeside Circle handles premises liability cases throughout Macomb County. We pay the upfront case costs, and you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Call 248-483-5000 to find out who may be responsible for your injury and what your next step looks like.
LEGALLY REVIEWED BY BARRY J. GOODMAN
Barry J. Goodman has devoted his professional life to keeping courthouse doors open for victims seeking justice. Always a tireless advocate for his own clients, Goodman sees his responsibility as a Detroit personal injury attorney in a broader sense as well. [ Attorney Bio ]
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