Resolving Disputes Through Discussion And Negotiation

Hunter injuries on your land

On Behalf of | Sep 21, 2022 | Personal Injury

In the Plano, Texas area, there is plenty of opportunity for recreational hunting. However, hunters do not always respect private property lines, and in some cases, they get injured on land that someone owns. This can result in a legal case.

Hunter injuries

Hunters may not always know that they are on private land, or the landowner may allow them onto the land knowingly. The large size of land lots and farms in Texas can contribute to confusion. In any case, hunters can sometimes get injured while they are out, and in that case, they may attempt to sue the landowner. However, there are laws in Texas that provide protections for land owners and limit their potential liability. The first is the Recreational Land Use Statute.

This statute places three requirements for landowners to satisfy. The first is that the land be suitable for potential agricultural use. The second is that the person on the land must have been doing a recreational activity when they were injured. The last is that the landowner did not charge the hunter a fee, or did not charge them a large amount, or the landowner holds liability coverage. If those three are satisfied, the landowner is protected.

Liability shield

The other Texas law that protects landowners is the Agritourism Act. This protects landowners from liability as long as they either hang appropriate signs as defined in the law or hold liability insurance.

The law in Texas does protect landowners from liability as long as they follow the requirements outlined in these two statutes, which are a fairly low bar to clear.