DeKalb County Apartment Accident Lawyers
Holding Liable Parties Accountable for Injuries on Rental Premises
Tens of millions of Americans live in apartments across the country. For most, living in these residential areas results in no significant harm. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case when negligence is involved. If you or a loved one have been injured on a rental property, you may be entitled to significant compensation. A DeKalb County apartment accident lawyer may be able to assist.
At Eshman Begnaud, LLC, our law firm is made up of Georgia personal injury attorneys who are committed to our clients. Each member of our team is a tireless advocate for those who have been injured in or around apartment buildings. Unfortunately, these cases can sometimes become complicated — particularly when it comes to identifying liable parties and holding them accountable.
Fortunately, you don’t have to do this alone. Contact us today for a free consultation.
What Are Common Accidents in Apartment Complexes?
Few people realize just how many hazards they encounter in their day-to-day lives. When you own a home, it can be easy to mitigate such issues. You can be sure that proper maintenance is occurring, and you can take active measures to avoid injurious incidents. Unfortunately, tenants have less control when they’re on a rental property. This is why our DeKalb County apartment accident lawyers are unsurprised when the following cases are brought to us:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog and animal attacks
- Trip and fall accidents
- Inadequate security incidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Playground injuries
- Fitness center accidents
- Fire and smoke inhalation
- Elevator and escalator accidents
- Falling objects
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
Keep in mind that these are only the most common accidents and causes of injuries seen in apartment complexes. Even if what happened to you doesn’t fall into one of these categories, it doesn’t mean you might not be entitled to substantial compensation. If you or a loved one were injured at one of these residential complexes, don’t hesitate to contact the DeKalb County apartment accident lawyers at Eshman Begnaud, LLC today.
What Are Georgia Premises Liability Cases?
While it won’t be true in every case, a significant number of apartment accident claims involve premises liability. These cases involve victims who suffer injuries on someone else’s property. Even in situations when the injured party is in their own apartment or rental property, they may still be eligible for compensation since they do not own the property in question.
Put simply, property owners are responsible for providing a safe environment for those who are on their premises. Failure to do so can result in liability. If you or a loved one were injured at a complex — or a wrongful death occurred — your DeKalb County apartment accident lawyer may be able to help you establish the following three elements of liability:
- Duty of care: This is the responsibility to avoid actions that could cause harm and take active measures to prevent injuries. Apartment owners, managers, and others have a responsibility to provide safe premises.
- Violation of duty: For liability to exist, a duty of care must be violated. For instance, perhaps the property manager failed to repair a broken handrail — or maybe they failed to install security cameras after several assaults.
- Causation of harm: It must also be shown that the violation of a duty of care directly led to harm. For instance, perhaps the lack of security cameras made the area more appealing for criminals — and a resident assault resulted.
Premises liability cases can involve just about any injury or death that takes place on someone else’s property. If you are an apartment resident, visitor, delivery driver, or anyone else on the property, you have a reasonable expectation of safety. Negligence and wrongful acts can ruin this expectation and leave innocent victims dealing with long-term problems.
Our DeKalb County apartment accident lawyers will review your case and help you understand your rights and options.
Are There Issues That Could Minimize Liability?
Envision a scenario where all three elements of liability are established. Perhaps your injury involves a premises liability claim, or maybe it’s another type of case altogether. Regardless of the underlying circumstances, it’s important to realize that certain issues could minimize or even eliminate responsibility on the part of liable parties.
While potential issues could vary depending on the unique issues in your case, the major issues that injury victims encounter are shared liability and the Georgia personal injury statute of limitations.
What if You’re Partially Liable?
Many injury victims never bother to seek financial compensation because they assume their own actions forfeit their right to financial recovery. This simply isn’t true in Georgia. That’s because our state practices comparative negligence.
That means victims can recover damages proportional to the other party’s fault. However, if the injury victim is at least 50% at fault, then they’re unable to recover any damages. Still, you shouldn’t make assumptions about your level of liability.
Our DeKalb County apartment accident lawyers can review your case and help you understand what you may be entitled to.
Statute of Limitations
In most cases, injury victims have two years to file a personal injury claim. This is also true for individuals who lost a loved one in a wrongful death case. If you fail to file within this timeline, you will typically forfeit your right to do so.
This means you should contact an attorney as soon as possible. There are some exceptions to the Georgia statute of limitations, but speaking with a legal professional is the best way to see if you qualify.
Contact Our DeKalb County Apartment Accident Lawyers Today
Apartment buildings and rental properties are a critical aspect of America’s housing availability. A new complex can take a property that would only hold a few houses and give hundreds of people a home. Unfortunately, these important residential areas can turn into danger zones when negligence, recklessness, or other wrongful acts enter the picture. Fortunately, you may have legal recourse if you or a loved one were harmed.
At Eshman Begnaud, LLC, you’ll work directly with a Georgia personal injury attorney who is committed to securing a favorable outcome on your behalf. We know that these cases can be stressful, and we’ve seen what can happen when injury victims don’t have experienced legal professionals on their side. Contact us at (678) 892-7173 to schedule your free consultation. Our DeKalb County apartment accident lawyers are here to help.