Property Owners Liability for Injury on the Premises

A person may recover against a property owner for the personal tortious conduct of an employee or guest on the premises if the owner knows or has reason to know such conduct was occurring. See Bullard v. Ehrhardt, 283 S.C. 557, 324 S.E.2d 61 (1984); Burns v. South Carolina Comm'n for the Blind, 323 S.C. 77, 448 S.E.2d 589 (Ct. App. 1994). In such instances, the injury is not caused by the premises, strictly speaking, but damages are recoverable because the incident occurred on the premises and the property owner failed to adequately warn others or take precautions to avoid the injury. Id. See also South Carolina Fed. Sav. Bank v. Thornton-Crosby Dev. Co., 310 S.C. 232, 423 S.E.2d 114 (1992) (action seeking money damages for breach of contract is action at law). Our review of an action at law tried by a jury extends merely to correcting errors of law. We will not disturb the facts determined by the jury unless there is no evidence which reasonably supports the jury's findings. Townes Assocs., Ltd. v. City of Greenville, 266 S.C. 81, 221 S.E.2d 773 (1976); Brown v. Smalls, 325 S.C. 547, 481 S.E.2d 444 (Ct. App. 1997).