Many people dream of staying in a well-built and peaceful apartment free from any hazards. However, that dream may be dashed when your landlord fails to carry out the necessary maintenance on the homes, resulting in unsafe living conditions. If you sustained injuries from an accident that was caused by your landlord’s negligence, he/she could be held liable and may be required to compensate you.
Landlords are required to remove any hazards from their premises to keep visitors safe from harm. This is according to premises liability law, where property owners are responsible for any injuries sustained on their properties. They have a duty of care to visitors who have the legal right to be there.
Thus, they should keep the area safe by carrying out safety precautions like putting up proper signage, properly maintaining the property, and regularly inspecting the premises for any potential dangers. Therefore, if you have sustained injuries from an apartment slip and fall accident as a result of the negligence of the landlord, you have the legal right to sue for compensation.
You can hold your apartment owner liable for any injuries sustained from the following hazards:
Wet surfaces and floors
The main cause of sliding incidents is wet floors. Floors become unsafe if they are covered in water, ice, or spills. Moreover, if they are constantly being cleaned and waxed, they can become too slippery for people to walk on.
Other floor hazards include worn out carpets, defective sidewalks, cluttered floors, loose floorboards, cracks and crevices, and potholes. Building owners should ensure the floors are properly maintained, are dry, and have adequate signage to alert visitors of any possible dangers.
Poor lighting
Some buildings have inadequate lighting, which hinders people’s vision. Visitors may not be able to properly navigate from one area to another because of the dim lighting and may end up bumping into walls or other underlying obstacles. It is the responsibility of your building owner to ensure that walkways, sidewalks, parking lots, and staircases are adequately lit to improve vision.
Broken or loose handrails
Broken, loose, or missing handrails pose a danger to visitors and tenants and could lead to serious accidents. Handrails offer support to people who are climbing or alighting from staircases and should be firm and sturdy. Moreover, narrow or uneven staircases are also dangerous.
The property owner should do regular inspections of the staircases and handrails to ensure issues such as worn steps, loose handrails, or loose carpeting have been fixed. In addition to that, the caretakers should immediately remove any debris that obstructs people’s paths and wipe any spilled drink or food.
Weather
Weather is a natural phenomenon that cannot be controlled and can cause dangerous conditions. For instance, rain and ice could make floors wet and dangerous. The property owners have the responsibility to either shovel the sidewalks and walkways or pour salt on it.
Conclusion
Building owners have the responsibility of dealing with all the maintenance tasks to provide you with a safe living environment. If you have been living in unsafe living conditions and you have sustained injuries as a result of the owner’s negligence, you have every right to file a claim against the liable party.
