Who bears the highest duty of care on premises?

The highest duty of care on premises is owed to invitees. An invitee is someone who is invited onto the property for the benefit of the property owner, such as a customer in a store or a guest at a public event. The property owner or occupier is responsible for maintaining safe conditions for invitees, which includes regular inspections and taking proactive measures to correct any hazards that may lead to injury.

This high duty of care is grounded in the expectation that invitees are often unknowingly exposed to risks associated with the property. Therefore, the law requires property owners to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of invitees while they are on the premises.

In contrast, licensees, though they do have some protections, do not receive the same level of care as invitees. Property owners have a duty to warn licensees of non-obvious dangers but are less obligated to conduct regular inspections. Trespassers are afforded even less protection under the law, as property owners generally owe no duty of care to them beyond refraining from willfully or intentionally harming them. Lastly, guests without invitation may not fall into a specific legal category that receives care similar to that of invitees or licensees, further emphasizing the heightened duty owed to invitees