A package delivery leads to a slip and fall injury.

I’m Katelyn Holub, an attorney focusing on personal injury law in northwest Indiana.

Welcome to Personal Injury Primer, where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss topics related to personal injury law.

Today’s question comes from a listener who recently sent us the following question: “what would happen if someone got hurt on my property while they are trying to steal a package left on my doorstep?”

Have you ever ordered an item and the company says they shipped it to you, but you never received it?

Maybe you even contacted the postal authorities or the parcel delivery companies wondering where your package is. And they replied, “we delivered it”.

They even tell you where they put your package. Which in most cases is out in the open where it can be seen by anybody.

Well, according to CNBC, 10 percent of the US population will be a victim of package theft.

And, some people seem to be in just the right location that they tend to be magnets for thieves stealing their ordered items.

These victims have lost countless packages to crafty thieves who drive through neighborhoods looking for unguarded items.

But, the victims are fighting back. Some have installed motion sensor cameras that start recording the moment the perpetrators come into sight.

One gentleman from Tacoma went so far as to rig an empty box with fishing wire and 12-gauge shotgun blanks. Can you see where this is going? When the box is moved, the wire activates the shotgun blanks to go off. Bang! Bang! Bang! The thief scrambles for his life.

But what if, in the course of trying to escape the supposed gun fire, the thief hurts himself on your property?

You might be thinking good, that’ll teach him to stop trying to rip people off. And it might. But, what if the thief decides to sue you for his “slip and fall” injuries?

It’s not fair, but it happens.

The exact thing you used to scare him off, to prevent this person from stealing from you, is the exact thing that caused this person to become injured.

Yes, you scared the thief so senseless that he couldn’t think straight and ended up tripping over a lawn ornament and breaking his ankle and wrist.

You could argue he got what he deserved, but you’d be the one who not only is responsible for the civil liability (the thief’s injuries) but you could also be cited for using a mechanical device designed to fire weapons. And, if you think your property insurance will cover your liability, you better read the policy carefully, because there likely is an exclusion for actions you might take that knowingly can be expected to lead to injury.

So why do I share this information with you?

I share it to give you an insight has to what might happen when you try to take the law into you own hands and MacGyver a package designed to scare.

It’s best to turn over any video footage you might have to law enforcement officials so they may handle the investigation.

The term “slip and fall” refers to circumstances where people are injured when they slip or trip and fall as a result of a danger or hazard on another person’s property.

Such falls can occur indoors or outdoors. A fall can be caused by a defective floor, a wet floor, poor lighting conditions, or the result of snow or ice.

Cracked concrete, a pothole, or any other poorly maintained premises can also be the cause of a slip and fall injury.

Our legal team is always available to consult on slip and fall injury cases.

There is no fee for an initial consultation, and if we accept your case we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we do not get paid until we make a recovery for you.

Now if you’re the person who injured themselves while in the course of stealing someone’s packages, … we aren’t going to be able to help you with the consequences. That is not to say there isn’t some attorney out there who could assist an injured thief. It just isn’t us.

But, let’s say you work for a delivery company and you get hurt coming onto property to make a delivery, we definitely would suggest you call us. We frequently represent delivery workers who get bit by dogs, fall on ice, or step in an unprotected pothole, and we’re here to help.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you have questions about your legal rights if you get hurt due to the carelessness of another person, or as a result of substandard medical care, or due to a product defect, construction injury, or any other type of personal injury, please give us a call at (219) 736-9700. You can also learn more about us by visiting our website at www.DavidHolubLaw.com – while there make sure you request a copy of our book “Fighting for Truth”.