Many individuals rent their living accommodations rather than own. Whether it’s a home, condo, or another dwelling, some landlords do not provide reasonable and safe accommodations. If you have recently been injured in your apartment, it may be due to the negligence of your landlord. If your landlord is indeed negligent, he or she would be required to cover damages, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and more. To find out more about your options, contact a Fayetteville, Arkansas Personal Injury Lawyer today.
Is my landlord responsible for my injury?
Your landlord is not responsible for everything, but when it comes to health and safety, you deserve a safe space, both indoors and outdoors. The landlord should engage in regular assessments of the property and identify defects in the premises. Further, they should not conceal dangerous conditions that they know about. This includes things like plumbing and faulty wiring. What if something breaks or is in need of repair? The landlord is responsible for making these repairs competently or hiring a skilled professional to do so. For example, there could be faulty wiring in your apartment and it is repaired unsuccessfully which then causes a fire. If you’re injured because of a negligent repair, you will likely qualify for compensation.
How do you prove your landlord was negligent?
You may be wondering how negligence is proven. You will need to provide various types of evidence to prove that your landlord was careless and that they caused or contributed to your injuries. This can include photographs, videos, medical records, bills, statements from witnesses, email correspondence, voicemails, and more.
In general, you must prove that your landlord’s direct actions or inactions caused your injury. No intention of harm needs to be present for liability to be assigned. The act or failure to act regarding an unsafe condition can in itself be the proximate cause. It is important to establish further, that the landlord was made aware of or should have known about the unsafe condition. Some other factors that may be considered by the court are the cost to fix the problem, whether the accident could have been prevented with a repair, and the seriousness of your injury. With so many factors to consider, the case could become complicated. It is best to have an experienced lawyer handle your case.
