Every property owner has a legal responsibility to protect the safety of anyone on the premises of their building for a legitimate purpose. However, not every property owner does what they should, leading to otherwise preventable accidents and injuries. Here are seven ways that negligent property owners cause accidents:
- Failure to clean up spills and debris
- By far the most common cause of premises liability accidents is slipping and falling. Most often, slip and fall accidents are caused by spilled food or drink, or other debris left on the floor (such as leftover materials from construction). People trip or slip on these hazards, and fall down, injuring themselves.
- Failure to clear snow and ice
- Just as dangerous as any spill, however, are the threats of snow and ice. These hazards are most often seen during the winter, but any sort of precipitation, including rain and hail, can potentially create a dangerously slippery surface. When negligent property owners fail to maintain the area around their property by cleaning snow and ice, it can lead to accidents.
- Improper maintenance of facilities
- Negligent property owners can also cause accidents by failing to perform proper maintenance on their properties. Floorboards can become damaged or break, for example, causing people to fall when they stop on them. Likewise, loose banisters or handrails can become unstable when people try to lean on them, causing them to collapse. If these issues are not addressed promptly, the risk of an accident goes up significantly.
- Failure to signpost known hazards
- While it is not always possible to repair every hazard right away, property owners are at least supposed to put up warning signs around known hazards. This includes warnings about slippery floors, as well as any notifications of ongoing construction, areas with high voltage electricity, or the location of hazardous chemicals. Without these warning signs, people are at a much higher risk of serious injury.
- Lack of adequate lighting
- When property owners are negligent, they may fail to put in adequate lighting everywhere it is needed on their property. Alternatively, they may install lighting but forget to keep it properly maintained, leaving areas in and around their building in the dark. These darkened areas are more dangerous to navigate, with a higher risk of an accident, as well as a higher risk of being attacked by a criminal.
- Insufficient security measures
- Another important hazard that property owners are supposed to deal with is the risk of crime. Muggings, burglaries, and sexual assaults are all foreseeable potential risks that can happen when negligent property owners fail to install adequate security measures. When they do not take measures to prevent these attacks, such as by hiring guards or installing security cameras, it can increase the risk of harm to innocent people.
- Lack of barrier around swimming pools
- As it gets closer to summer, more people are looking forward to swimming. However, swimming pools can be serious hazards, with a risk of slipping and falling as well as drowning. That is why all swimming pools should have barriers to keep unwanted people out, and a lifeguard on duty at all times when in use.
If you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you should seek out the personal injury lawyers at Zlotolow & Associates. Our seasoned New York personal injury attorneys bring more than two decades of trial experience to your case. We serve all five boroughs of New York City, as well as Nassau and Suffolk County. Our aggressive personal injury attorneys always demand maximum compensation. We have helped thousands of clients recover through settlements and courtroom verdicts.
