Property owners in Brampton are well aware of their duty of keeping the premises safe. Whether it is an office space or a residential property, it becomes necessary to ensure that nobody gets injured. 

That’s is why many property owners choose to do frequent safety inspections. If the premises’ hazardous conditions are found to have injured someone on the property, the consequences can lead to the owner being accountable for a slip and fall accident. 

So, if you are renting an apartment and have experienced a slip and fall accident, you must be questioning whether the landlord is liable for it or not. Don’t worry because I, Priashna Singh,  can help you answer this question. 

Here is something that can help you determine whether the apartment owner is liable for your slip and fall accident. 

Negligence from Owner’s End

The most important thing that makes an owner accountable is negligence. This can determine the success or fall of your case. If you can prove that, you can win your case along with the compensation that you deserve. 

You either need to prove that the owner himself/herself created the unsafe environment or had knowledge of it but didn’t take the right actions to fix it. In my experience, it’s usually the second one. 

Owners tend to neglect their duty of fixing problems with their property, most importantly, when someone’s renting it. So, if you can prove that they already knew about it, you may have a chance to win your case. 

It also goes without saying that to prove the owner liable for your slip and fall accident, you need to show that the owner had already known of it and yet didn’t improve the premises’ conditions. If not, you will be considered liable for your injuries.  

Slip and Fall Liability Claim – The Reality

It may sound a little easy right now as I tell you about how you can go with your case. But it’s not usually easy to convince a jury. Slip and Fall accidents are rather common, and there are several cases where it becomes almost impossible to prove the owner’s liability. 

Let me explain this with an example. Imagine you slip on the floor due to a leak in the ceiling pipe. Now your case’s success is supposed to depend upon whether you have already told the owner about the leakage or not. 

It goes without saying that if the owner had no idea about the leakage, you can’t hold them accountable for your slip and fall injuries. It automatically points towards the fact that the injury could’ve been avoided if the owner had known about it. 

Another scenario that might occur is that you tell your owner about the leak. The owner says that he/she will act on it or delay the procedure. But before any action could be taken, you became a victim of that damage. In such scenarios, the property owner can be deemed liable for your slip and fall accident. 

But in reality, things can take unpredictable turns. In my experience, I’ve seen the jury pointing fingers at the tenant sometimes for not being cautious after informing the owner about the leak. This can turn the case against you and make it hard to get compensation for your injuries. 

I’d personally suggest you first consult a legal professional like me to handle your case. Going about your case alone can be mentally exhausting when you’re already going through financial and physical distress. 

Know What’s in the Lease

Another most important aspect that can decide whether you win your case or not is the lease. Always check the lease before signing and before deeming the owner liable for your slip and fall accident. 

This is important for cases where you fall right outside the property on a sidewalk due to ice. If the lease doesn’t mention it, you may be able to prove the owner’s liability. 

But if the lease says that taking care of the sidewalk, including removing the ice, is your responsibility, then you can hold the owner accountable for your injuries. 

The same goes for any foreign substance that the owner doesn’t know of. If the injuries are caused on the exterior part of the property due to some foreign substance, you can’t put the owner liable for your slip and fall accident. 

What you can do-

Usually, when you see hazardous conditions of the property, you must inform the owner. You can also try to avoid using that area or place (if possible) until it is fixed to prevent any injury. But if the slip and fall accident has already occurred, there are a few things that you can do to help your case. 

For starters, take as many pictures of the accident as you can. Pictures can literally do more than any word you will say in front of the jury. I’ll also suggest you reach for medical help as soon as possible. This is not a fight with your own, but a struggle to keep your physical and mental health intact. The whole point of going through all this is to make sure that you recover with minimum damages to your physical, mental, and financial well-being. Take all the help provided by medical professionals. Also, go back to work, if it’s possible. It will help you deal with the mental stress. 

I’ve seen a lot of people hiding facts during such cases. It may seem like a good idea to receive faster compensation, but it is not always best to lie. First of all, when you lie, it becomes impossible to back your claims with facts. And you surely don’t want to be caught lying in the court of law as things may not go down very well for you.  Proving the owner’s liability in a slip and fall accident can be challenging as well as complicated. This is why it is best to hire my team of personal injury lawyers to represent your case. I’d suggest you contact our team of lawyers. They can provide you with the best legal consultancy and help you determine the liability in your slip and fall accident. Schedule your consultation with us now.