How to Sue My Landlord for Slip and Fall

Slip and fall injuries are some of the most common accidents all over the country. Although they are often made light of in comedies and cartoons, a slip and fall can cause injuries that leave repercussions for years. If you fall the wrong way, you may break a bone or suffer internal injuries—or even a concussion. The medical bills associated with treating these injuries can be very high, and some victims may never be able to fully recover.

If this happens to you as a result of a condition that should have been addressed but was neglected or ignored, you need to consider holding the responsible parties accountable. This helps you to see justice for your unnecessary injury and also sends a message to other landlords to act responsibly.

Your landlord should do everything possible to minimize the chances of someone getting hurt in a slip and fall accident, including conducting regular safety inspections to identify whether or not there are hazards present that should be corrected.

Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents

Over time, wear and tear in buildings or even misuse of buildings by other people can lead to breakdowns and things, such as handrails, floor tiles, or stairs. These aren't just a nuisance or problematic for aesthetic purposes.

They can also increase the chances of someone being hurt, particularly those in vulnerable populations like the elderly. Someone who relies on handrails and expects the stairs to be flat, free of spills, and without any tears or cracks will certainly not expect to land on their back and suffer critical injuries.

There are some circumstances in which a landlord can be held legally responsible through a lawsuit for slip and fall injuries. You may have to pursue them with a civil suit handled by experienced lawyers like those working at Morgan & Morgan, but you should not overlook the importance of possibly getting compensation through this method.

Since most people are not aware of the severe consequences of slip and fall accidents, they also underestimate the impact of medical bills. It's not just about the medical bills you've already received, either. Slip and fall injuries are also about the medical bills you will receive in the future, and if your care goes on for any long period of time, it may be difficult or impossible for you to go back to work. You might not be able to work at all or have to change your job so significantly because of your physical injuries.

This has widespread impacts on your life, and it should always be taken seriously by hiring the best slip and fall lawyers you can. Filing a lawsuit against a landlord for a slip and fall injury is a complex prospect, but it is one that may be available to you. Landlords have a responsibility to ensure the safety and health of their tenants. This means being aware of obvious hazards and things that a reasonable person could slip or trip on.

For example, if there's been a torn piece of carpeting or a glued-down rug that's peeling up the edges and you've reported this multiple times to your landlord to no avail and someone eventually slips or trips over it, this could easily become a premises liability lawsuit against the landlord. Similarly, if there are stairs in a hallway or other location that requires good lighting, but the landlord refuses to install or repair lighting that would make it possible to see in that area, someone could easily slip and fall.

Landlords have a responsibility to carry the appropriate insurance, to monitor the condition of their property, and to respond to serious concerns presented to them by tenants. Furthermore, it doesn't just take a tenant filing a complaint or asking for something to be corrected. Landlords have a legal responsibility to be proactive about these issues and to take steps to correct these problems. In the short term, that correction may simply be a sign or an email sent to all residents about the possibility of a dangerous condition.

However, it shouldn't stop there. The landlord should also endeavor to hire someone to fix that dangerous condition so that the threat of a slip and fall injury is removed entirely. If this does not happen and someone does get hurt, that landlord could be held responsible.

If you have pictures or video evidence of the scene that caused you to slip or trip, this can be helpful in telling an overall story. You can expect that once someone slips and falls, the landlord might finally take it seriously and repair it, but you may still need the evidence associated with the old conditions to tell your side of the story.

This means you need to act quickly, and you also need to hire a slip and fall injury lawyer to help you with your claim. Do not count on your landlord to do the right thing or for his or her insurance company to fully compensate you for the injuries you've suffered. They will not be as sensitive to your situation as a premises liability lawyer is. Your premises liability lawyer is motivated by getting justice for you.

Most personal injury and premises liability cases are taken on a contingency fee basis, which means your lawyer is only paid if they are successful in recovering an outcome for you. These lawyers take on cases they believe they have a decent chance of winning and exert a lot of resources in pursuit of that goal. Do not count on people who are not as invested in your outcome to help you with your legal case. Seek out an attorney who has a track record in premises liability cases to put yourself in the best possible situation to recover maximum compensation.

If you end up meeting with a premises liability lawyer and decide to file a lawsuit based on the dangerous conditions in a home, apartment building, or apartment complex, your landlord will eventually find out. Trying to navigate this situation on your own can be overwhelming and stressful. How you communicate with your landlord during this time can be a big challenge, especially if you're afraid of some type of retaliation.

If your landlord asks if you're okay, be honest about your pain, but limit your responses about your recovery. You do not owe them a progress update. Accidentally saying something could compromise your ability to win compensation in a lawsuit, so it's best to leave all compensation to your lawyer.

Your premises liability lawyer can further advise you about what they will handle in your lawsuit. Suing a property owner is a serious matter, but you must also not neglect your rights if you were critically hurt on a landlord's property. Do not sign any paperwork presented to you by property managers, either.

We'll take the pressure off of handling all the details in your case when you hire us to help with your premises liability claim. If you live in a rental property and your landlord failed to take necessary precautions, you should not suffer the consequences. Get a handle on the legal process once you've suffered bodily injury and work with the premises liability attorneys at Morgan and Morgan.

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. We’re ready to be there for you.