Living in apartments and rented homes is a relatively commonplace arrangement in the Chicago area. Young families, professionals developing their careers and countless others live in rental homes leased from owners or businesses.
One of the benefits of renting instead of buying is that the landlord is generally responsible for property maintenance. They have an obligation to repair any serious issues in individual units and to maintain any shared spaces, such as stairwells, hallways and parking lots. When tenants or their visitors slip and fall in an apartment building or its parking lot, they may have questions about who is actually liable.
Who covers the costs of an apartment building slip-and-fall in Chicago?
Landlords are often liable
Landlords owe a duty of care to their tenants and members of the public. They should keep their
properties in reasonably safe condition. Doing so requires that they inspect the property regularly,
have professionals on hand for maintenance and address snow or ice accumulation in parking lots and
other common areas promptly after precipitation.
The failure to do so is a breach of duty that can create liability for the landlord. The concept of premises liability in Illinois makes property owners and businesses responsible for the economic and other consequences of failing to keep the property in safe condition.
Provided that the injured person can show that the landlord or property owner was negligent about property maintenance, they could potentially file a premises liability claim seeking compensation for not only economic expenses such as medical bills, property damage, and lost income,
Proving that a landlord breached their duty of care generally requires evidence. People who slip and
fall may need to take pictures of hazards that contributed to the incident, such as an unlit stairwell or
an icy parking lot.
Evidence is key
Preserving that evidence as soon as possible helps ensure that injured people can take legal action.
They likely also need to seek medical care so that there are official records of their injuries that
corroborate their claim that a slip-and-fall hurt them.
With evidence of negligence and the consequences a tenant or visitor sustained, an injured party may
be able to pursue a premises liability lawsuit or an insurance claim. Discussing what led to an
apartment building slip-and-fall can help injured people understand their rights. When landlords fail
to maintain their properties, they may be liable for the harm that their negligence causes others.