Slip and fall accidents can take place essentially anywhere, but one of the most common locations for them are apartment complexes. These multi-unit structures provide homes for many people and pose significant hazards for residents and visitors. In some instances, the landlord can be held liable, which means that you can pursue a legal case for damages.
Here is some information about slip and fall apartment building accidents and what your legal options are if you are involved in one.
Common Apartments Dangers
A lot can go wrong in an apartment complex that is neglected and not maintained on a regular basis. For example, broken staircases in apartment buildings with multiple floors can cause you to trip, slip, and fall. Apartment balconies must also be maintained to ensure that they will not collapse and cause severe injuries.
Other apartment dangers are broken shower doors, improperly wired electrical sockets, and damaged flooring. In apartment building parking lots, tenants in New York often become injured because of improper snow and ice removal, potholes, and cracked pavement. If the apartment building has a swimming pool or playground, these features can provide additional liability concerns as well.
Typical Slip and Fall Apartment Complex Injuries
Broken bones are very common slip and fall apartment complex injuries due to poorly maintained parking lots, stairways, and inside apartment homes. It is also common for people to suffer from concussions and possible brain and spinal cord damage from these types of serious falls. Sprains, strains, bruises, cuts, and scrapes are more minor injuries but ones that can still have significant consequences for your life.
Landlord Obligations
Landlords are legally obligated to ensure that their properties are safe for tenants and visitors based upon state premise liability laws. Landlords are responsible for looking after common areas for safety concerns, while apartment dwellers are responsible for taking note of and reporting issues inside their apartments.
As a tenant, you should promptly notify your landlord of hazards inside your rental space. It is not your legal responsibility to inspect the greater property or formally notify him or her about conditions in shared areas, but it may be helpful to others if you let your landlord know anyway.
How to Prove Your Landlord Is Liable
To prove that your landlord is liable for a slip and fall apartment complex injury, you must be able to show that the landlord failed to regularly inspect the property and/or make repairs in a timely way. An experienced Brooklyn auto accident lawyer can help you prove that a landlord’s negligence on the premises resulted in your injuries and that your landlord is legally responsible for paying for your medical bills, lost wages, other expenses, and pain and suffering.
Gathering Evidence for your Slip and Fall Apartment Building Case
As with any slip and fall accident case, you and your attorney will need to provide substantial evidence to prove that your landlord is at fault for your accident and injuries. If possible, provide documentation that shows your landlord was aware of the hazard, such as a written notice, text, or email. It is beneficial if you have personal written notes about when you called your landlord to request the repair.
Other helpful evidence includes photos of the dangerous condition and written witness statements from other people who also noticed the hazard. If you have been injured, keep copies of all of your medical records and medical bills to prove your damages.
Legal Assistance with your Case
Approximately two-thirds of New Yorkers live in a rental apartment, which means that slip and fall apartment building accidents are much more common than you might think. If you have been the victim of one of these accidents, you need the Law Office of Jeffrey K. Kestenbaum on your side. We handle many different types of personal injury cases, but apartment slip and fall cases are among our top specialties.
If you have been injured in or around your apartment, it is imperative that you contact us right away because New York imposes a statute of limitations deadline to file a claim for these types of cases. If you’re injured badly and can’t come to our office, we will come to you. Please call us at 718-237-5586 or contact us online for a free consultation.
