Under the attractive nuisance doctrine, what duty does a land possessor owe to child trespassers?

Under the attractive nuisance doctrine, what duty does a land possessor owe to child trespassers?

• A. No duty to children on land
• B. Duty to warn of known dangers
• C. Duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid dangerous artificial conditions likely to attract children
• D. Duty to fence all artificial hazards

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that landowners have a heightened duty to protect children who might be attracted onto their land by dangerous artificial conditions. Under the attractive nuisance doctrine, a landowner must exercise reasonable care to avoid dangerous artificial conditions that are likely to attract children. This means if something artificial on the property (like a well, pool, machinery, or open excavation) could entice kids, and the owner knows or should know that children are likely to trespass, the owner must take steps to prevent harm—such as fencing, covering, or removing the hazard, not merely warning about it. The duty is to act reasonably to reduce the risk to child trespassers, rather than to absolve all liability or to fence every single artificial hazard.

The key idea is that landowners have a heightened duty to protect children who might be attracted onto their land by dangerous artificial conditions. Under the attractive nuisance doctrine, a landowner must exercise reasonable care to avoid dangerous artificial conditions that are likely to attract children. This means if something artificial on the property (like a well, pool, machinery, or open excavation) could entice kids, and the owner knows or should know that children are likely to trespass, the owner must take steps to prevent harm—such as fencing, covering, or removing the hazard, not merely warning about it. The duty is to act reasonably to reduce the risk to child trespassers, rather than to absolve all liability or to fence every single artificial hazard.