If you slip and fall in an apartment building, you may be able to sue the landlord. Personal injury lawsuits based on what is known as premises liability require proof of negligence. Whether you can sue the landlord comes down to whether they failed to keep the property safe.
Determining whether you have the right to sue requires an experience-based analysis of the facts. Here are some of the factors that a Los Angeles personal injury attorney at our firm considers when evaluating a potential claim.
Personal injury lawsuits, based on a slip and fall in a common area or other public space, require evidence of negligence. The plaintiff can allege that the landlord or manager, who is responsible for the condition of the property, failed to meet a duty, which caused the injury.
Apartment building falls may be caused by water left behind from cleaning, a spill left behind for too long, ice and snow not cleared away, and other reasons. Landlords or other potentially at-fault parties might be responsible for the injury if they breached a duty to invitees (those permitted to be on the property) by:
If this breach is a direct and foreseeable cause of the fall, the defendant may be liable for the plaintiff’s injuries. Los Angeles slip and fall lawyers can help with this analysis.
Commonly, a defendant in a slip and fall lawsuit will raise defenses in an attempt to avoid liability. If you are involved in a lawsuit or insurance negotiation, you may expect to hear some of these arguments:
Your personal injury lawyer will address these and any other issues that may threaten your case.
In California, the law tasks certain parties with maintaining rental properties so that tenants and others who enter the property will be safe. Depending on the situation, this can include:
When one or more of these parties fails to do this, the victims who may be entitled to sue can include:
Time is of the essence when it comes to protecting your rights. Even though you may have a lot to deal with, as soon as you can:
If you have been injured, be proactive and speak with a Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer from our firm as soon as possible. Statutes of limitations limit how long you have to file a lawsuit, and evidence can disappear quickly.
Call the Salamati Law Firm to discuss your case for free. We are committed to helping personal injury victims understand their rights and pursue full compensation. Call us today – the consultation is free!