I am sorry to hear about your accident. Whether you are a tenant or a guest, you have legal rights. There is a duty of care that is owed by the owner of the apartment building to visitors and guests to the apartment. If you are injured in an apartment building accident, you may be able to sue the apartment’s owner for negligence, if the owner’s failure to exercise a duty of care resulted in your injuries.
Apartment building accidents often occur when owners fail to make repairs to structures in the building. Broken steps may not be repaired, and a guest could trip and fall. Smoke detectors that fail may not be replaced, which could lead to a deadly fire. A deck that became unsteady may not be fixed, which can lead to a fall.
In many cases, an apartment owner may not want to spend the money that is needed for proper repairs. The building’s owner may know about the repairs, but could be too lazy to make them. The owner may also be very “hands-off”, and may not take the time to investigate to see what repairs need to be made to the property. Some other common types of accidents that can occur in apartment buildings because of an owner’s failure to take the necessary steps include the collapse of the building, falls because of poor lighting, accidents in broken and dangerous parking lots, accidents in elevators that are not properly maintained, assaults in poorly secured buildings, and falls because of dangerous floors.
Accidents that can be easily prevented should never occur in apartment buildings. Residents have the right to live in areas that are safe, and guests have the right to be safe on the premises. If an accident occurs because of an unsafe condition, the responsible parties should be held accountable. An attorney can help determine who the responsible parties are, and the steps that should be taken as a result.
If you are in the Los Angeles area, and have been harmed because of a dangerous property condition in an apartment building, call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles premises liability attorney, at 310-385-0567. My team can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.