Can You Sue Landlords if You Sustain Injuries in Their Apartment Buildings?
Millions of Americans call the concrete and steel jungles of New York City home, and among these shining skyscrapers and massive bridges are collections of apartment buildings. Renting a residence obviously has its perks from buying an actual house, but that doesn’t mean this type of property is not without its risks.
A stumble across a sidewalk crack and a dangerous tumble down a flight of stairs at your apartment building can result in moderate-to-severe injuries, but the liability of this situation can be put into question. Can you hold your landlord responsible for any injuries you might sustain in your apartment, or is he/she only partially responsible (or not at all)?
Let’s take a closer look and find out.
A Question of Negligence
Ultimately, you can only hold your landlord responsible for your accident if you can prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he/she purposefully ignored dangerous elements (e.g. broken floorboards, loose railings) which subsequently inflicted harm on one or more victims. In the event that you are seeking to prove a case of negligence, you must ensure your cases meets the following criteria:
- Duty: All landlords are required to maintain apartment buildings to ensure these environments are 100% safe for renters.
- Breach of duty: A landlord must have voluntarily breached their duty to care for renters by ignoring dangerous materials.
- Causation for harm: In essence, the elements ignored by the landlord must not just be dangerous, but must have also inflicted injuries in some way.
- Inflicting damage: The prosecutor must have evidence that the victim was injured by the materials. Proof may include medical bills and photographic/video evidence.
Understanding a Premises Liability Case
Ultimately, many different elements can come into play for a premises liability case. For example, in one case, you might enter your apartment building and step through a weak point in the floor, resulting in a sprained ankle. On a different note, your landlord might have failed to install safe wiring in your apartment, resulting in your electrocution.
In all matters, you must prove that the landlord purposefully ignored hazardous materials or situations that posed a genuine threat to you and other renters, and you (or possibly more people) sustained injuries due to these circumstances. For more information, please review more details about slip and fall accidents at HG.org.
Personal Injury Lawyer in New York
Everything from a simple stroll to a casual run across a city sidewalk can bring you so much joy, but in the blink of an eye, just a simple journey by foot can quickly take a turn for the worst. Due to the negligence of building superintendents, school administrators, city maintenance workers, and other people who work to ensure the safety of the public, a slip-and-fall across a crack or dip you didn’t see coming can inflict moderate or serious wounds.
Although this might be difficult, though, you must remain calm. With the assistance of a lawyer who is experienced with personal injury cases, you can gather viable resources to create a strong case in court.
Here at Gattuso & Ciotoli, our combined 50 years of legal experience overlays some of the most high-quality legal services to accident victims who live in the vicinity of Syracuse, New York. We value your perspective on your case and your goals for the future, and we are ready to help you receive the justice you deserve. For more information on our four practice areas or details about a claim, contact us at (315) 314-8000 today.