Milwaukee Premises Liability Attorney
Milwaukee Premises Liability Attorneys
Slip and Fall · Negligent Security · Dangerous Property Conditions
Mingo & Yankala, S.C. | (414) 273-7400
When you enter someone else’s property — a store, a restaurant, a hotel, a parking lot, an apartment building — you have a legal right to expect reasonably safe conditions. When property owners fail to meet that obligation and you are seriously injured, Wisconsin law gives you the right to hold them accountable.
Premises liability cases are aggressively defended. Property owners and their insurers have standard arguments ready from the moment an accident is reported: the hazard was “open and obvious,” you were not watching where you were going, the condition had not existed long enough for them to have known about it. Attorney Mark Mingo knows every one of those defenses — because he spent years on the defense side helping insurance companies deploy them. He left that work behind. Every one of those tactics is now something he fights against on behalf of injured people.
Mark Mingo also argued and won DeShaney v. Winnebago County, 489 U.S. 189 (1989) before the United States Supreme Court — one of the most significant Fourteenth Amendment decisions in American constitutional law, cited thousands of times by courts across the country and taught in virtually every law school in the United States. Fewer than one percent of licensed attorneys have ever argued before the Supreme Court. That level of advocacy stands behind every premises liability case this firm handles.
Read about Mark Mingo’s full credentials and Supreme Court record →
Types of Premises Liability Cases We Handle
- Slip and fall on wet, icy, or uneven surfaces
- Trip and fall on broken steps, raised flooring, or unmarked hazards
- Negligent security (assault, robbery, shooting at properties with inadequate security)
- Inadequate lighting injuries
- Elevator and escalator accidents
- Parking lot and garage accidents
- Swimming pool accidents and drownings
- Dog bites
- Falling merchandise in retail stores
- Balcony, deck, and railing failures
- Apartment and residential building hazards
- Wrongful death from dangerous property conditions
Important — Act Quickly After a Premises Injury
Surveillance footage is routinely overwritten within 24 to 72 hours. Hazardous conditions are repaired — eliminating the physical evidence. The property owner’s insurer begins its investigation the day of the accident. You need an attorney building your case just as quickly.
Injured in a car accident in Milwaukee? We handle those cases too.
We represent injured people throughout Wisconsin. See our guide for personal injury attorneys throughout Wisconsin →
Call (414) 273-7400 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win.
Serving Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, Madison, and all of Wisconsin.
Frequently Asked Questions — Premises Liability Cases in Wisconsin
What is premises liability law in Wisconsin?
Premises liability is the area of Wisconsin personal injury law that holds property owners and occupiers legally responsible for injuries caused by unsafe conditions on their property. Wisconsin imposes a duty of ordinary care on property owners — including retail stores, restaurants, hotels, apartment buildings, office complexes, parking lots, and private residences open to visitors — to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition for lawful visitors. When a property owner fails to repair a known hazard, fails to warn of a dangerous condition, or fails to provide adequate security, and someone is injured as a result, the owner may be held liable.
What do I need to prove to win a premises liability case in Wisconsin?
A Wisconsin premises liability claim generally requires establishing four elements: (1) the property owner owed you a legal duty of care based on your status on the property; (2) a hazardous condition existed; (3) the owner knew of the condition or, through reasonable care, should have known about it; and (4) the condition caused your injury and resulting damages. The most contested element is usually constructive knowledge — how long the hazard existed and whether the owner should have discovered it. Surveillance footage, maintenance logs, prior incident reports, and witness statements are the most critical categories of evidence.
How long do I have to file a premises liability lawsuit in Wisconsin?
The general statute of limitations for premises liability cases in Wisconsin is three years from the date of the injury. Claims against government-owned properties — public schools, city parks, county buildings, municipal facilities — require a written notice of claim within 120 days of the incident. Missing this deadline can permanently bar your claim even if the underlying case is strong. Beyond deadlines, surveillance footage is often overwritten within 72 hours, hazardous conditions are repaired, and witnesses’ memories fade. Contact an attorney as soon as possible after any serious premises injury.
What should I do immediately after being injured on someone else’s property?
Seek medical attention immediately. Report the incident to the property manager or store manager before you leave and request that a written incident report be completed — ask for a copy. Photograph the hazardous condition, the surrounding area, and your visible injuries before you leave if at all possible. Get the names and contact information of any witnesses. Do not sign anything presented by the property owner or their representative at the scene. Preserve your footwear and clothing — do not allow property representatives to inspect or photograph them. Do not give a recorded statement to the property owner’s insurance company before consulting with an attorney.
What if I was injured in a slip and fall on ice or snow in Wisconsin?
Property owners in Wisconsin — including commercial businesses, landlords, retail stores, and parking lot operators — have a duty to exercise ordinary care to address hazardous ice and snow conditions within a reasonable time after those conditions form. Whether an owner met this duty depends on when the condition formed, how long it had been present, what the owner did or failed to do, and whether prior complaints had been made. Insurance companies frequently assert the “open and obvious hazard” defense in ice and snow cases. Building the right evidence — including weather records, maintenance logs, and prior incident history — is essential to overcoming these defenses.
What is negligent security and can I sue a property owner for being attacked on their property?
Negligent security is a premises liability claim arising when a property owner fails to provide adequate security and a visitor is injured in a criminal attack — assault, robbery, shooting, or sexual assault — that was reasonably foreseeable given the property’s prior history. Property owners including hotels, apartment buildings, bars and nightclubs, parking garages, and retail centers may be liable when prior criminal activity at or near the property put them on notice that their security was inadequate. Key evidence includes prior police reports at the property, area crime statistics, surveillance footage, and security expert testimony.
Why should I hire Mingo & Yankala, S.C. for my premises liability case in Wisconsin?
Attorney Mark Mingo argued and won DeShaney v. Winnebago County, 489 U.S. 189 (1989) before the United States Supreme Court — one of the most significant Fourteenth Amendment decisions in American constitutional law, cited thousands of times by courts nationwide and taught in virtually every U.S. law school. He has been selected to Wisconsin Super Lawyers for 18 consecutive years, holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, an Avvo rating of 10/10 (Superb), and is National Board Certified in Trial Practice by the NBTA. He has tried more than 100 personal injury cases to jury verdict. Before representing injured people, he spent years on the defense side representing major insurance companies — the same entities that defend premises liability claims. He knows every argument they use because he used them. That knowledge now works exclusively for injured people.
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