When Tenants And Visitors Are Injured On A Piece Of Property

Landlords are responsible for keeping their properties reasonably free of dangers for those who visit the property. This article will discuss some of what landlords are responsible for with regard to maintaining their properties and why it is so important for people who suffer premises liability accidents to hold landlords accountable for their failures in this regard.

Landlords have the following responsibilities with regard to their property:

— To maintain common areas so they are safe and free of hazards.

— To warn visitors of dangers that might be hidden.

— To ensure that furnished dwellings are safe for short-term leasees.

When a landlord fails in adhering to the above basic precepts or if the landlord fails to take reasonable action to ensure the safety of his or her premises, then he or she could be held liable for the injuries of tenants and visitors. This liability will extend to injuries that happen as a direct result of the landlord’s failures in this regard.

Let’s use the example of a broken step on a staircase. If the main staircase is broken so a property visitor uses a different staircase to go upstairs, and then trips on that fully functioning staircase and injures him or herself, then the landlord’s negligence to repair the main staircase is not the direct cause of those injuries. Meanwhile, if the main staircase is used and the broken step — which the visitor was not warned about — does cause injury, then the landlord might be liable.

California residents injured on the property of a negligent landlord may want to consider a lawsuit. Not only will a premises liability suit help injured parties pay for medical care, time spent unable to work and other financial damages associated with their injuries, but such a lawsuit will also send the important message that this kind of negligence has consequences and it will not be tolerated by the public.

Source: FindLaw, “Liability for Tenant Injuries and Insurance for Landlords,” accessed Aug. 04, 2016