When you visit your friend’s house, the last thing you expect is to get into a severe accident. It is not uncommon for homes to have spilled water or milk in the kitchen or have children’s toys lying on the ground. However, when you visit someone else’s property, even if it is your friend, they should make sure that their house is safe and hazard-free.
If you slip and fall at your friend’s house and injure yourself, you should not simply ignore the accident because they are your friend. You may be able to get compensation depending on the circumstances of the case. As your friend, they should also care about your health and help you get better by providing financial aid. Contact a Houston Personal Injury Lawyer today.
Is the homeowner liable if you slip and fall at their house?
When you get injured in a slip-and-fall accident at your friend’s house, you may not want to take legal action against them for obvious reasons. However, just because they are your friend does not mean they should get away with being negligent towards your safety. A responsible homeowner who takes the right steps to keep their property safe would have ensured that a slip and fall does not happen.
To prove that your friend had the knowledge and enough time to fix the damage or remove the hazard, you must establish the following:
- The owner or your friend was aware of the condition.
- The owner had enough time to remove the dangerous object or hazard but failed to do so.
- The hazard that resulted in your injury had existed for a time period within which the owner should have noticed and fixed it.
In case the property you got injured in is not owned but rented, then the landlord may be liable. You must consider the following factors to establish the landlord’s liability:
- The landlord had actual or constructive knowledge of the condition.
- The landlord had the chance and time to fix the damage but did not do it timely.
- The landlord was aware that the situation was hazardous enough to cause an injury.
- The landlord failed to take the right steps to keep their property safe.
Homeowner’s insurance coverage
In a slip-and-fall accident, the property owner’s homeowner’s insurance usually covers the victim’s damages. What happens is similar to a car accident claim. The homeowner provides financial aid to the victim using their own insurance to avoid a lawsuit.
If you were injured on someone else’s property, contact an attorney today.