If I fell at my rental due to the stairs being slippery, can I sue my landlord?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If I fell at my rental due to the stairs being slippery, can I sue my landlord?
I live in a rented home. The landlord put in stairs that you would find in a school setting (the hard rubber ones). I slipped and fell on them 3 different times (it’s like walking on ice when you are wearing socks; they may be safe at a business or school because people there are always wearing shoes). The last time I fell I broke my tailbone and about a month after that developed an anal fistula that I now need surgery for because, over the past 6-7 months I have had it drained 4 times. The antibiotics I was given (for malaria prevention, caused me to get a lymph node infection). All of this stems from me falling. Is there a possible lawsuit here?
Asked on December 12, 2013 under Real Estate Law, Michigan
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
If they are like "stairs you would find in a school setting," you are not likely to win: if stairs like these would be considered safe for hundreds of school children to walk on everyday, they are not likely to be considered intrinsically or unreasonably unsafe for use in a residence. Furthermore, socks are slippery, and people are advised to not walk on stairs in them; in walking in socks on stairs, you were engaging in at least somewhat risky behavior. That risk would reduce or possibly even eliminate any amounts you might otherwise win in a lawsuit. Therefore, from what you write, you would not appear to have a strong case.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.