What to Look Out for if You Wanna Sue Your Philly Landlord

If you rent in Philadelphia, learning about your rights as a tenant and when you can sue your landlord might enable you to recover compensation for an accident caused by negligence.

The most common reason why landlords are sued in Philadelphia is failure to address safety hazards or adhere to their duties of care owed to tenants. For example, your landlord might be liable if you tripped in the stairwell of your apartment building because of a wobbly handrail or leak in the ceiling. If you become aware of a hazard, inform your landlord. If they do not fix it within a reasonable amount of time and you become injured, you may be able to file a lawsuit. Injury claims against landlords must be brought within two years in Philadelphia. Depending on the evidence you can present of your landlord’s negligence, you may be able to recover compensation for all of your losses, both economic and non-economic.

Reasons to Sue Your Philly Landlord You Should Look Out For

Landlords in Philadelphia have a responsibility to their tenants to maintain reasonably safe common areas and address hazards promptly. Failing to adhere to their duties of care might make landlords liable for injuries sustained by tenants.

Although landlords in Philadelphia often get away with a lot, they can be held accountable for failing to provide safe housing to tenants. There are a lot of legal responsibilities landlords have, a primary one being addressing repairs and hazards so that tenants are not in danger. For example, winters in Philadelphia can get pretty cold, leading to icy steps that might cause tenants to slip and fall, injuring themselves. If your landlord did not salt the steps leading up to your building or failed to shovel snow, and it is not stipulated in your lease that you are responsible for such maintenance, then you could sue your landlord for injury.

Other serious violations, like failure to install working smoke detectors, might give tenants a reason to sue their Philadelphia landlords.

Tenants should look out for leaks that need repair, wobbly handrails in stairwells, broken elevators, and other hazards in common areas.

In addition to being liable for injuries sustained due to traditional negligence, like failure to fix a broken light fixture in the hallway, landlords might be sued for negligent security. For example, suppose your landlord failed to fix broken locks or install security cameras, and your apartment was broken into, or you were assaulted as a result. In that case, you might be able to file a negligent security lawsuit against your landlord in Philadelphia.

How Can You File a Lawsuit if You Wanna Sue Your Philly Landlord?

If you have reason to sue your Philadelphia landlord, for example, if you fell down the stairs because of a broken floorboard that went unrepaired, there are certain steps you should take to protect your access to compensation.

First, if you notice a hazard in your apartment building, notify your landlord, preferably in writing. It will be important to show in your claim that your landlord was aware of dangers within their purview and chose not to address them.

If you were then injured because of that hazard, inform your landlord of the injury and accident, again in writing. Getting a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer to help you report your injury to your landlord can ensure you include all necessary information about the incident.

Once you’ve reported your injuries to your landlord, you can bring your claim. All injury claims must be filed within two years of an accident in Philadelphia. Before filing your lawsuit, confirm with your attorney that your reason for injury was within the scope of your landlord’s responsibilities. For example, landlords might not be liable for injuries sustained within individual apartment units, depending on the situation.

How Much Compensation Can You Recover by Suing Your Philly Landlord?

Many tenants shy away at the prospect of suing their landlord, fearing an uncomfortable situation and strained relationship should they file a lawsuit. While that is understandable, you have the right to compensation if your landlord’s negligence caused your injuries.

Injury claims against landlords can lead to substantial compensation for tenants in Philadelphia. Recently, a victim of a slip and fall accident in the stairwell of their apartment complex recovered a jury award of $350,000 in Philadelphia, compensating them for their injuries, financial damages, and pain and suffering.

Victims who sue their landlords are not limited regarding their recovery in Philadelphia. Provided victims submit sufficient evidence of a landlord’s negligence, they can recover compensation for all financial damages, including medical expenses and lost wages. Additionally, tenants injured because of a landlord’s negligence can recover compensation for non-economic damages, such as reduced quality of life and pain and suffering.

In the event that your landlord exhibited gross negligence in causing your injuries, you might even be able to recover punitive damages in Philadelphia. Compensation varies on a case-by-case basis and depends on the extent of the victim’s injuries, the evidence against the defendant, and the victim’s specific damages.

Mike

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