Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California
I am a homeowner in a rural area of California where rattlesnakes are common. If I hire someone to do yard work on my property, and they get bitten by a rattlesnake, can I be held liable?
3 Answers from Attorneys
Yes, and t hey dont even have to show you did anything wrong.
There are some things you can do to minimize your risk of a successful lawsuit against yourself:
(1) Carry a homeowner's insurance policy that protects you (ask your agent);
(2) Hire local licensed contractors who are already familiar with rattlesnakes;
(3) Insert a warning about the presence of rattlesnakes in your written contract with workers.
(4) Consider having work done when snakes are seasonally less likely to be present; and
(5) Make sure workers wear protective gear, i.e., high boots.
You didn't provide your zip code, so I have no way of knowing if you live close enough to me to give you a referral to a guy who rounds up rattlesnakes and installs snake proof fencing. Additionally, I use and recommend Turtleskin snake gaiters and chaps. I personally use them in snake country.