Slipping and Falling on Apartment Grounds - Can I Sue My Landlord? Who Is at Fault?

Slipping and Falling on Apartment Grounds -

Can I Sue My Landlord? Who Is at Fault?

We have all been victims of slipping and falling in the comfort of our home, these injuries can vary a lot. Regardless of their severity, slips and falls are accidents that must be taken very seriously. They can result in serious injuries if they occur again, costly medical bills, and complications that could affect your life forever.

Some of the most common injuries involving falling and slipping are:

• Bruises and scratches: If we are lucky this is will be the minimum injury we will get, if you hit your muscle or slide your arms or legs against a wall or the floor it’s very likely you will get either one of those.

• Head injuries: This is one of the most dangerous injuries many deaths have been caused by it. If someone hits their head with a lot of force, they can suffer severe brain damage or bleed out specially if they are by themselves.

• Fractures and broken bones: These are also very common injuries in these types of accidents. If you land in the wrong position you can damage a bone simply caused by the force of the impact at high speed.

• Spine injuries: They are also extremely dangerous. These types of injuries include neck and back injuries in general. A severe case could include death or permanent damage changing your life forever.

• Muscle damage: Muscle injuries are common as well, but more in the leg and feet area. If you slip and your foot ends in the wrong position you can tear a ligament or a tendon. They are usually treated with therapy and severe cases can take up to months to completely heal.

They all have many different causes and factors that affect these events. Just to mention some: With what object did the person trip? Why did the person slip? Age and physical condition of the victim? Was there any height involved? With how much force did the person hit the ground, etc.

When an accident of this kind occurs and it’s because of the negligence of a landlord, the law protects the victim. An attorney will be your best option for defending your rights and be eligible to get some monetary compensation. Property Owners and occupiers of public places are legally obliged to maintain certain safety criteria to prevent accidents. Some examples of things landlords can be held liable of are: A slippery surface, a hole, an old or ripped carpet or a liquid spill caused by not fixing a leak. They can all be dangerous and therefore they should be taken care of as soon as possible with no exceptions to avoid any damage to any tenants of the property.

A common cause of accidents is because of slippery surfaces during winter season. Snow and ice can cover a sidewalk or a parking area that is part of your property. It is the landlord’s duty to do constant inspections and to remove any potential weather hazards to avoid accidents. If they fail to do this, they can be found guilty of pure negligence and held liable. Some other general factors to the owner of the property accountable are:

• The owner caused the dangerous conditions. Whether it was directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally.

• The owner was aware of these conditions but failed or refused to do something about them.

• The condition existed for a long period of time, enough for the owner to fix it, but still decided to ignore it.

When am I at fault? When we fall or slip, we have to also be responsible for our own negligence and actions, a lot of people tend to point fingers right away, as soon as they are involved in an accident avoiding any guilt, but there are situations when the accident happened because we are careless or don’t pay attention. We have to ask ourselves a series of questions and analyze the situation, these questions are very likely to be asked by your lawyer as well during any investigation to see if the landlord can be held accountable for the accident.

• Could the accident have been avoided if you took the proper precautions such as walking carefully or slower?

• Were there any warning signs alerting of a slippery area, such as “Wet floor” etc. ?

• Were you paying enough attention to what was in front of you or were you distracted? (This one is very important, since nowadays people are completely immersed on their phones paying almost zero attention to their surroundings)

• Were you acting reckless before the accident? Such as Jumping, running, jogging in non-suitable areas for these activities.

If you see yourself involved in a situation like this, make sure to contact a professional lawyer with experience on Slip and fall accidents, only they can do the proper investigation and get you some monetary help so you can cover all your medical expenses and damages caused by this situation that was not your fault. Remember to always be aware of your surroundings and report any potential hazards before it’s too late.