Every property is governed by state, local, or federal laws. These laws vary from state to state but aim to keep the occupants and their businesses safe. When these property and landowners fail to honor these property laws, their clients or people who occupy these premises suffer injuries. Individuals who experience these injuries can sue the property owners and hold them accountable for these misfortunes. A premises liability lawyer handles these cases on behalf of these tenants or visitors, checks case viability, and files the claims. Let’s review the type of liability cases, injuries, and how to submit a liability case.
Types of Premises Liability Cases
There are different types of liability cases. These cases enable one to find the best premises liability lawyer who is conversant with the situation. These types of liability cases include the following:
- Slip-and-Fall Cases: When you slip, trip, or fall in an apartment due to wrong or poor construction, it becomes a premises liability case. In many states, landowners need to repair, renovate, and make their houses safe from tripping, slipping, or falling. When they fail on this front, any accident links them to negligence.
- Staircase Accidents: Staircases have to be uniform in steps and treads. Levels must have the recommended length and gaits. When they are irregular and not consistent, loss of balance, stumbling, and falling leads to a negligence case. They should not have sharp edges or unsafe handrails. Adequate lighting should be made available with zero distractions, among other safety measures.
- Electrocution: When there is poor electrical installation, the property owner must take responsibility for losses. If high voltage led to injuries, the premises liability lawyer can sue the energy supply company.
Defective Sidewalks
When a house is constructed with uneven or irregular sidewalks and causes accidents, the landlord will be responsible for these damages. The landlord who controls the street, sidewalks, or pavements need to ensure every surface is safe and will be liable for any accident that occurs due to poor construction.
- Insecurity: Any form of danger in an apartment always gets blamed on the property owner. Tenants can use a premises liability lawyer to sue the property owner and pay for any damages.
Personal Injuries and Premises liability
There are many causes of premises liabilities. Some of these causes include water spilled on walkaways, defective wiring, poor installation, poor construction, using shoddy materials, and violations of building regulations. The law requires the visitor or tenant to try as much as possible to avoid the accident. They are also required to adequately address the injuries to prevent further suffering, which may cause unnecessary damages. For example, if there is a loose electrical wire in the house, the tenant should avoid it by all means and report to the property owner.
If the property owner does not fix it immediately and it causes accidents, then the court will find them liable and they will be required to compensate the tenants for damages. A court case would not work out effectively if the tenant or visitor caused the accident due to negligence. The case will get downgraded if the victim escalated the injuries through walking, running, or failing to see a doctor and get medical attention. Sometimes, the law requires the landowner and the tenant or visitor to share costs depending on the situation. When this occurs, it requires a premises liability lawyer who will look into the case and determine if it’s worth sharing the cost.
Filing a Premises Liability Case
A premises liability case gets handled the same way as a personal injury case. Before filing the claim, one needs to familiarize oneself with civil lawsuit procedures and know what is required. When these premises liability cases lead to personal injuries, then the case takes a new twist. Such damages include electric shocks, broken bones, damaged tissues, spinal cord injuries, burns, neck injuries, and head injuries. When such happens, you need to file a case with a personal injury attorney who will investigate, link the damages with the building, and file a claim. They will also follow up on the compensation and ensure you get paid according to what the law requires.
If injuries result from negligence or poor construction, a tenant is entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit. Premises liability lawyers will take on these cases, investigate, file a suit, and seek compensation if the landowner is found responsible for violations.
