Have you recently experienced an injury on or in a rental property? You might be wondering what to do and who’s at fault for your suffering.
Most times, injuries experienced on or in rental apartments come from the negligence of the landlord or building owner not adequately fixing mistakes. Other injuries are simply accidents. It might be hard to tell which one yours is.
Regardless, if you’ve experienced an injury that’s left you hurt and possible scrounging for financial coverage, you’ll want to know what you should do.
Here is how to tell who is responsible for injury in a rental apartment and why you should hire a Boynton Beach Personal Injury Lawyer to help.
Common Accidents on Rental Properties
There are several accidents a tenant can experience while living in a rental apartment. Not all injuries have to be experienced in their unit. Some can be outside on the grounds, in the amenities, or along the staircase.
Here are some of the common accidents a tenant can experience in an apartment:
- Slippery floors (due to leaks or weather)
- Falling debris
- Falling down steps from burnt-out lighting
- Wet items on sidewalks
- More
It’s the landlord or building owner’s responsibility and legal duty to make sure the building is taken care of, and things are working properly to try and avoid such instances where tenants suffer as a result.
Slip and Fall & Personal Injury
If you are injured on a rental apartment property, the type of lawsuit you file will be based on your circumstances. Slip and Fall or Personal Injury may be recommended by your attorney.
Slip and fall is a term under the personal injury umbrella. Slip and fall simply means you injured yourself by slipping or falling on their property due to their negligence. Personal injury means someone was harmed or injured from someone else’s negligence as well.
You can experience an injury on a rental apartment property that does not qualify for slip and fall. For instance, a ceiling fan or light fixture could not be in place securely and then fall on top of you. That would fit a personal injury case instead of slip and fall.
How To Tell Who Is Responsible for Injury
It’s important to note that sometimes accidents do happen. Not every slip and fall you encounter on the premises of an apartment will constitute a lawsuit, but certain circumstances will. For example, if the building owner has failed to update or clean some of the materials, he could be at fault. On the other hand, if they did not know about the broken items, it could be hard to put the blame on them.
To be able to successfully put the liability on the landlord, they must have known about the broken item and then done nothing about it, hence resulting in negligence. If you’re unsure who’s to blame in your case, ask your lawyer.
Steps To Take After Sustaining an Injury
No matter where you are, the first thing you should do after sustaining an injury at a rental apartment is to take photos of the evidence and scene no matter how large or small the situation is.
Things to take photos of will vary depending on the circumstances, but here are a few to note:
- Locations (what’s around that make you succumb to the injury)
- Bruises or cuts on your body
- Damages
- Puddles or leaks
- Broken items
It is important to take photos of the location if you are outside and it is a snowy or icy scene because these climates tend to melt quickly. If there were no warning signs about possible slipping in the area, take photos to prove it. Having physical and documented evidence for your case will make your claim ten times stronger and bring about the validity of your words.
The next thing you should do is seek medical attention. Medical documentation of your injuries as a result of the accident can be used in your case as evidence later on.
You should also report the accident to your landlord or building owner to let them know what is going on. Once you seek medical attention and have reported the accident to your landlord, it is time to find a lawyer to start assisting your case.
How Are Personal Injury Cases Handled
When you file a claim against an apartment complex, you may need the assistance of a lawyer since you have to prove the accident was the landlord’s knowing fault. Because of this, your lawyer will work hard collecting sufficient evidence that proves this.
Throughout the process, the apartment complex will have the chance to pay a settlement, which will end the case. If, however, the apartment complex does not decide on a settlement, the case will go to court, where the jury will decide how much the plaintiff is awarded if the plaintiff wins.
Your attorney can give you the best indication as to the odds your case has of winning, whether or not to offer the apartment complex’s settlement, and an estimation of how much you could walk away with in extra compensation.
What Can a Lawyer Do for You?
Attorneys are great assets for personal injury cases because, unlike the insurance company you’re trying to get help from, we are on your side from the start. Lawyers have your best interest in mind and take on the challenge of fighting the battle for you to correct the wrongs that have been committed.
When you hire a lawyer, you hire an advocate for yourself and a partner who has all of the legal information you need when aligning your case and evidence with Florida’s statute of limitations. Attorneys will take care of the legal work for you in your case. It is their job to gather all of the evidence, speak to medical professionals, obtain a police report (if there is one), find witnesses, and speak on your behalf.
If you’re looking to find extra compensation that can help with medical bills and make up for wrongdoings, an attorney can help by taking on your case and bringing it to a jury to decide your financial award.
Rather than taking this case on yourself and causing additional stress, a legal professional will know how to help you throughout the complex legal process.
Hire A Lawyer Today
Fighting against building owners and landlords can be a difficult process. Some people try to file lawsuits and handle business on their own, but we advise you to take the smarter route by hiring a trusted attorney.
The team at Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers has 40 years of experience handling personal injury cases against rental properties. We know how to read their codes, analyze the scene, and collect evidence to prove their negligence is the cause of your unfortunate, and preventable, suffering.
Give us a call today at (561) 800-8000 or leave your contact information in our free case evaluation form you can find online. Once we have your information, we’ll bring you in for a no-obligation consultation to discuss your case in greater detail.
Leave the legal battle to the professionals who are on your side. Contact us today to get a start seeking the extra compensation you deserve.