What if I’m Injured at My Apartment Complex? 7 Huge Injuries That can Affect Renters
Renting an apartment is extremely common in Los Angeles. Afterall, homeownership rates are only 37 percent in LA.
If you currently rent an apartment, your landlord and property owner have a duty to properly maintain the building and its amenities to ensure your safety. Failure to do so could be grounds for a premises liability case following a personal injury.
In a premises liability claim, a victim must prove that they were injured as the result of the property owners negligence. Negligence is defined as careless or thoughtless conduct, or a failure to act “how a reasonable person would have acted”.
Furthermore, a victim would need evidence of the property owner or landlord’s negligence in providing a safe living space.
There are multiple ways you can get injured at your apartment due to property negligence. One of the most common causes is a slip and fall accident.
A slip and fall may stem from:
- Broken or missing handrails
- Damaged staircases
- Uneven floors
- Improper elevator maintenance
- Poor lighting
A case would need proof that the owner failed to maintain the property despite warning. Imagine Val notifies her property manager of a loose handrail at her apartment complex.
Weeks pass, and the handrail is never repaired. One day it breaks, and Val falls down the stairs.
Her property owner failed to protect her, even after they were told about the issue. It should have either been fixed, or had a warning sign to prevent tenants from using the handrail.
Proper signage is important for amenities as well.
Many apartment complexes come with gyms, swimming pools, or community grills. Not displaying warnings that one can be burned while using the grill, or putting up a sign signaling how deep a pool goes, can lead to injuries.
Many apartment complexes even put up a set of rules for each amenity. Let’s say Davey goes for a swim one afternoon.
Despite a list of rules near the pool including one that requests tenants swim with others, he decides to swim alone. He is injured while swimming, and wants to file a suit against his property manager.
It may be more difficult for Davey to build a case, since there are clear warning signs that define pool rules. If he wasn’t warned about the dangers of swimming alone, he would have a stronger case.
An interesting situation arises when it comes to dog bites at an apartment. Almost 1,000 people are treated for nonfatal dog bite-related injuries everyday.
Many complexes have strict rules about what breed of dog their tenants can own. Just because there are rules in place does not mean every tenant will follow them.
It’s not uncommon for tenants to bring forbidden breeds into their homes. If they choose to bring a breed known to be more aggressive, the risk of a dog attack or bite becomes greater.
It becomes an issue for both the tenant and the property owner. While the tenant should not have brought the dog onto the property, the owner should have provided better security, or even warned the tenant to remove the dog from the apartment complex.
If you were injured at your apartment, you may be suffering from a number of injuries, including:
- Damage to your back or neck following a slip and fall
- Broken bones or fractures
- Head injuries following a slip or fall
- Dog bite wounds that pierce more than the skin
- Cuts that lead to permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Spinal cord injuries
- Wrongful death, like an accidental drowning
A personal injury can result in a long journey to recovery. At C&B Law Group, our team of Los Angeles apartment injury lawyers are ready to help you on the right path in that journey.
We will work to assist you with recovering compensation such as:
- Lost wages
- Medical bill reimbursement
- Pain and suffering
Let us alleviate your injury recuperation. We service clients in multiple areas across Southern California, including:
- Los Angeles
- Burbank
- North Hollywood
- Glendale
- Pasadena
- Van Nuys
- Toluca Lake
- Studio City
- Sherman Oaks
- Panorama City
- Woodland Hills
- Reseda
Contact our personal injury attorneys in LA today to learn more about a free consultation.
