Is it true that a landowner's highest duty is owed to licensees?

The assertion that a landowner's highest duty is owed to licensees is false. In general, landowners have different levels of duty depending on the status of the visitor—whether they are invitees, licensees, or trespassers.

Invitees are owed the highest duty of care, which includes the responsibility to inspect the property, address hazards, and ensure a reasonably safe environment. Licensees, who enter a property for their own purpose with the owner’s consent (such as social guests), are owed a lesser duty to warn them of known dangers that the landowner is aware of but that the licensee may not be. Trespassers, particularly those who enter without permission, are generally owed the least amount of duty, mostly to avoid willful harm.

Therefore, the assertion does not align with the established legal standards regarding the responsibilities of landowners.