Keep me logged in until I sign out. An owner of property has a duty to protect members of the public from injury that may occur upon the property. When a person is injured, he may be able to recover money for his injuries if he can prove that the property owner failed to meet that duty. The hurdle plaintiffs face is that the nature and extent of the property owner's duty will vary depending upon the facts of the situation and the jurisdiction in question.
Some states focus upon, solely, the status of the injured visitor to the property.
An invitee is someone who has been invited onto the land because he will confer some advantage to the property owner, such as a store patron. An owner of property is required to exercise reasonable care for the safety of the invitee. A licensee is someone who enters upon the land for his own purpose, and is present at the consent, but not the invitation, of the owner. The owner's duty to a licensee is only to warn of hidden dangers. For example, if the owner knew the front step was rotten and did not warn the salesman, the salesman may be able to recover if he thereafter falls through the step and injures himself.