Posted On April 9, 2010 In Legal Information,Personal Injury
Apartment landlords have basic duties to ensure the safety of their tenants. While courts have not required landlords to take extraordinary measures, they are increasingly permitting tenants to sue landlords when landlords fail to take basic measures to protect their tenants’ safety. New York’s highest state court permitted a woman to sue her landlord after an ex-convict attacked her in her apartment. The man beat and raped her after he got into the apartment complex. The woman sued the building owners for failing to properly staff the security desk or secure the complex, and she sued the firm that provided security for negligently performing its security contract.
The woman’s case was particularly strong because the landlord knew the ex-convict well. He had relatives in the complex, police had arrested him several times for criminal acts in the complex (including robbery, attempted rape, and the beating of a security guard), and the landlord kept an arrest photo of him. When landlords have a particular reason to be on guard for criminal activity, courts are more likely to find them liable for crimes on their tenants and guests. An East Texas injury lawyer will discuss your options with you if a landlord’s negligence caused you injury in your apartment complex.
Here are some of the more important aspects of landlord liability that tenants should be aware of:
Contact an experienced Lufkin personal injury attorney at Mike Love & Associates, LLC if you have been injured in an apartment complex as the result of the landlord’s negligence.