If you've never been involved in a personal injury lawsuit, you may not know what an attractive nuisance is. It is a legal doctrine that holds property owners accountable for certain injuries to children that occur on their property, even if the kids did not have the owner's permission to be there. If you’re involved in an attractive nuisance case, here’s what you need to know. 

How an Attractive Nuisance Could Land You in a Personal Injury Lawsuit

What Is an Attractive Nuisance?

An attractive nuisance is an object on your property that is likely to attract children and could potentially cause harm or injury to the child. Examples of an attractive nuisance include swimming pools, trampolines, machinery, tunnels, wells, dangerous animals, and even pathways or stairs. If it’s likely to attract kids in the neighborhood and could reasonably be considered dangerous, the object could be an attractive nuisance.

What Is Attractive Nuisance Doctrine?

In many jurisdictions, landowners can be held responsible for injuries to children that occur due to the presence of an attractive nuisance on the property. This is true even if the children are trespassing.

The type of injury that occurred needs only to have been reasonably foreseeable by the owner. For instance, courts and juries have found it reasonably foreseeable that children might trespass onto a property to access a swimming pool with no fence and injure themselves on slippery concrete or in the pool itself. Uncapped wells and unsecured trampolines present reasonably foreseeable attractive nuisances. It’s the property owner’s responsibility to prevent injuries by taking steps, such as building a fence. 

If you have a personal injury case and need experienced legal representation, contact Coyne, Cundiff & Hillemann, P.C. in Lake St Louis, MO. They have more than 75 years of combined legal experience and serve clients throughout the Greater St. Louis area. In addition to personal injury cases, they specialize in DUI or DWI charges, workers’ compensation, auto accidents, divorce, and criminal defense. Call them at (636) 561-5599 to arrange a consultation, or visit their website to read what previous clients have to say about them.