When you rent an apartment, you expect everything is in working condition, and when it is not, you trust your landlord will be there to fix it in a timely fashion. Generally, this is the case, but sometimes, landlords behave negligently, and tenants are injured as a result. This is why if you were injured in an apartment accident, you are most likely looking into recovering financial compensation. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some of the questions you may have.
What are the most common causes of apartment accidents?
Several different factors can contribute to apartment accidents including, though certainly not limited to:
- Snow and ice: These accidents will occur when a landlord failed to clear all walkways within a legally accepted window of time. Snow and ice accidents lead to serious slip-and-fall injuries.
- Broken staircases: If a handrail or banister comes loose, people very often lose balance and have a serious fall.
- Electrocutions: These can occur if a landlord fails to ensure an outlet is properly grounded.
- Damaged flooring: This is extremely dangerous if you have small children, as protruding nails and loose floorboards could cause some very serious injuries.
- Insufficient lighting: When a landlord fails to ensure his property is adequately lit, people may very often not see uneven pavement or other safety hazards until it is too late.
- Apartment pool: A landlord is responsible for ensuring he takes all the necessary swimming pool safety measures and precautions. Landlords must ensure all drains are properly covered, safety hazard signs are on standby, and that all gates, covers, and fences are properly installed where appropriate.
How do I know if I am eligible for compensation following a Washington D.C. apartment accident?
To recover financial compensation, you must first prove that your landlord knew, or should have reasonably known about the safety hazard, that a sensible landlord would know this safety hazard could injure someone, that he or she neglected to take reasonable steps to correct the safety hazard or to keep others away from said hazard, and you were undoubtedly injured as a result. To prove another party’s negligence, you may wish to recover security camera footage, medical documentation detailing the extent of your injuries, witness statements, pictures of the safety hazard, police reports, and more. Hiring an experienced attorney can help ensure you establish the most convincing case possible to prove your claim and recover the compensation you need.
Contact our experienced Washington D.C. firm
The experienced personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys at Trombly & Singer, PLLC are prepared to represent clients facing legal matters after being injured due to another person’s negligence. If you require strong legal representation in Washington D.C. or Maryland, contact our firm today to schedule a consultation.