Low Lighting, High Risk
Poorly lit stairways, dark parking lots, and burnt-out bulbs indicate that a property owner is responsible if you fell on his or her property. Business owners and property owners have to maintain any premises where clients and customers walk. If you fell while at a business or commercially owned property, talk to your own personal injury lawyer before you speak to anyone from an insurance company.
“Unreasonable landowner maintenance” is another way of saying the owner is at fault. Blocked walkways, unlit parking lots, torn carpeting, loose gravel, missing handrails, and wet floors can mean that a landlord was negligent in his or her responsibilities as a commercial property owner. In fact, the more examples you can find, the more proof you have there is an ongoing problem.
For example, if a lobby floor is wet on a rainy day, the landlord or business owner can make the case that you should have been reasonably careful. However, if a lobby floor has loose tiles and wet spots from a faulty drinking fountain, you could hold him or her liable for your fall.
It’s reasonable for you to assume businesses premises and commercial properties are clean, safe places to walk. If you’ve been injured, you need to contact a lawyer immediately. Your lawyer can then take reasonable steps to document any other problems that indicate the landlord or business owner was being generally negligent.