Was a Landlord Responsible for Your Injuries?
If you are a tenant in Georgia, you should know that under state law, your landlord is obligated to maintain safe and viable living conditions for you and your family. Those who fail to fulfill this duty can be held liable for any property damage or injuries that occur as a result. Landlord-tenant cases can, however, be complicated, so if you were injured on a property you were renting because of your landlord’s negligence, you should consider reaching out to an experienced premises liability attorney for advice about the specific circumstances of your case.
What is Landlord Negligence?
Landlord negligence occurs when a landlord, property manager, or owner fails to take reasonable care in maintaining its premises for renters, resulting in unsafe conditions that cause injuries. Such carelessness can take a number of different forms, but the most common include:
- Failing to repair known hazards, like a broken stair railing, uneven surfaces, dangerous pool drains, or faulty wiring;
- Failing to address dangerous long-term conditions, like pest infestations and mold;
- Neglecting to comply with safety regulations and building codes; and
- Providing inadequate safety measures, such as failing to fix broken locks, provide adequate lighting in stairwells and common areas, or failing to install security cameras.
The dangers posed by this type of negligence vary. For instance, by failing to repair a broken stairway, a landlord significantly increases the risk that a tenant or visitor will slip and fall, especially if there is also inadequate lighting in the area. Failing to provide adequate safety measures, however, like repairing broken locks or installing gates in high crime areas, could increase a tenant’s chances of becoming the victim of a serious and even violent crime. In both cases, injured parties may have the option of filing a legal claim against the negligent landlord.
Proving Negligence
In order to recover compensation for an injury that occurred on a landlord’s property, a tenant will need to provide strong proof of negligence. This could include photographs and video footage of the unsafe condition in question, as well as eyewitness statements, other incident reports, correspondence (with the landlord) regarding the safety condition, and medical records detailing the victim’s injuries. This evidence can all be used to help establish that a landlord or property owner’s failure to use proper care in maintaining the premises was the direct cause of a victim’s injuries. If successful, a claimant could be entitled to damages for his or her medical bills, lost wages, temporary housing costs, and pain and suffering.
Was Your Landlord’s Negligence Responsible for Your Injuries?
If you believe that the actions (or inaction) of your landlord or property manager caused your accident and are considering legal action, please call the experienced Marietta premises liability lawyers at Shiver Hamilton Campbell to learn more about your legal options. You can reach a member of our dedicated legal team by calling our office at 404-593-0020 or by sending us an online message. We are standing by and prepared to get started on your case right away.
Sources:
law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-51/chapter-3/article-1/51-3-1
forbes.com/advisor/legal/personal-injury/premises-liability/
