Mobile home parks are small communities of trailers that are located on a section of land. The parks usually function independently and have their own infrastructure. Roads and sidewalks are present and are generally maintained by the park owner, but the trailers themselves and the distinct land they are on must be maintained by those living in the mobile homes. This is because families living in mobile homes more often than not own the trailers and do not have to contact the park owner or any landlord for assistance. This frees up the park owner from many responsibilities, but the park must still be kept according to standards and regulations of the city. If you were hurt because of a trailer park owner’s failure to maintain a mobile home park, you can sue for damages stemming from the accident. Our law group in Los Angeles, Normandie Law Firm, can make sure that you are fully compensated for your injuries.
Examples of Failure to Maintain a Mobile Home Park
Because the mobile home park owner only has to worry about the park and its common areas, he is not liable for any injuries, accidents, damages, and more that occur directly on the land of the trailers or in the mobile homes themselves. This means that if a tenant does not fix hazards inside his trailer or if he does landscaping that creates dangerous scenarios, the tenant will be responsible for any ensuing issues.
A mobile home park owner, though, must keep the park safe in other ways, including the following:
- Restructuring and foundational problems: Trailer parks are no longer able to be built, as the sector has been closed. They are therefore set in their locations; one of the troubles, though, is the foundation on which the trailers are laid may be faulty. For example, the land may actually be atop a landfill or near a marsh, which can cause shifts and damage to structures. Additionally, the fumes, methane, and waste may leach into the ground and damage the water supply.
- Water lines and pipes: Water mains must be maintained, but if they are not inspected every so often, there may be degeneration. There could be excess waste and chemicals seeping into the water supply, or lead and metals may be discovered. The pipes could be flaking or falling apart, which would make the water susceptible to bacteria. As a result, the entire mobile home park could be exposed to such dangers and illnesses.
- Common lands: There are usually sections of trailer parks that may simply be open grass fields, parking lots, and other spaces that are not occupied by any tenants. It is important for the owner to maintain these areas so that there are no hazards present.
- Laundry buildings: Most mobile home parks have specific centers that have washing machines, dryers, clothes racks, and more inside of them. They are used by most members of the community. However, some members may spill detergent and water, some washing machines may break and cause leaks, and there may be broken tile or loose carpeting in the buildings. There are many potential hazards that could be present, and it is the responsibility of the park owner to keep these locations hazard-free.
- Streets and roads: There must not be potholes and defects in the streets due to the risk of accidents. A deep pothole can cause a car’s tire to get damaged and the car to crash, or it can make bicyclists tumble after getting stuck. In addition, there could be a request for ample lighting from street lamps.
- Sidewalks: If the sidewalks are damaged by trees, weather, usage, construction, and other reasons, the park owner should repair them. They can lead to trip and fall injuries and other kinds of damages. Although homeowners are generally responsible for the upkeep of sidewalks, certain degrees of maintenance fall on the park owner. He may elect to call the city to deal with the issue.
In some specific scenarios, the trailers themselves are actually rented out by the mobile home park owner. This can happen if he acquires new trailers or if he purchases one from a family that is going to move out. If this occurs, then the park owner will be responsible for much more than just the maintenance of the trailer park community. He will also be a landlord responsible for water, heating, and more.
If your mobile home park owner does not maintain the community and there are hazards and issues present, you may be able to take legal action if you were hurt in an injury. Call our lawyers for more assistance.
Accidents and Injuries from a Poorly Maintained Mobile Home Park
There are various ways that you can be involved in accidents in mobile home parks. There are narrow roads that can lead to car crashes and bicycle crashes, and lack of lighting can cause pedestrian accidents. The potholes and defects in the walking areas can lead to slip and falls and other incidents. There is also the risk of illness stemming from environmental troubles that were never alleviated.
Some of the injuries that you can suffer from incidents in mobile home parks include:
- Broken bones
- Fractures
- Internal organ damage
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Knee and hip injuries
- Back and spinal cord trouble
- Sickness and infection
- Sprains and dislocations
- Paralysis
If you were involved in an accident in your mobile home park, you should take appropriate legal action against the park owner for his negligence. Our team of attorneys will be able to assist you with all the legal services you need.
Premises Liability and Negligence
If you wish to file a claim against your mobile home park owner, you must be able to show that he was negligent in his care of the property. A premises liability case can be brought against the mobile home park owner if he fulfilled one of these three scenarios:
- He knew about the hazard and elected to do nothing to fix it
- He caused the hazard himself
- He did not know about the issue but reasonably should have known as any responsible and attentive individual should have
These three points go hand in hand with the points of negligence. They are as follows:
- You were owed a duty of care
- The duty of care was breached
- The breach of duty led to an accident
- The accident resulted in physical injuries
All four points of negligence must be proven if you are to be successful with your claim. For example, if you were not injured in the accident, you will be unable to pursue certain compensation for any medical expenses. You will only be able to earn lost income or reimbursement for damaged property, for example.
It may be difficult to prove any of these points without the help of an attorney. If you haven’t filed a claim before or if you have no legal experience, you may not be able to win what you deserve. Our team of lawyers will gladly represent you and ensure that the mobile home park owner compensates you if he were responsible for your accident and suffering.
Statute of Limitations for Your Claim
In most cases, you will only have 2 years from the date of the injury to file a claim against the mobile home park owner if you were injured in an accident. If you do not take legal action within this time frame, you will be unable to get any compensation in the future. The statue of limitations is in place to ensure that claims are filed quickly and so that evidence and memories are not lost due to time. It is also to ensure that the compensation is equal to the injuries;; if all damages have been paid and all injuries have healed up, it is unfair to pursue legal action decades later.
You may be able to have the statute of limitations temporarily suspended in some scenarios. The most common situations include times when the plaintiff is underage and must wait until he is 18 years old to follow the statute, when a victim is mentally r physically incapacitated after an accident and can wait until he returns to health to sue, and when a defendant leaves his home state or country.
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Compensation from a Lawsuit
Victims of accidents in mobile home parks should not be expected to cover their own expenses. The damages can be attributed to the fault of the negligent park owner The most common forms of compensation you can receive from a lawsuit against a mobile home park owner for failing to maintain the trailer park include:
- Medical expenses from the past and future
- Lost wages from the past and future
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death damages if a loved one passed away
- Punitive damages if the defendant were particularly negligent or intended to hurt you
You should be given the maximum settlement under the law, and our expert mobile home park accident attorneys will do all we can to win your case for you.
Let Us Help
Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles has a team of attorneys with ample experience filing lawsuits against mobile home park owners for accidents they caused due to negligence. If there are any attorneys who know how to best win your case, it’s us. We are aggressive in our pursuit and will go to court if necessary Your mobile home park accident claim will be adequately and fairly handled by our team.
Reach out to our law offices for a free legal consultation. All details of your case will be kept confidential and you will be able to ask us any questions you wish. We’ll tell you what we believe your claim is worth and how we’ll go about winning it. If you hire us to represent you, you won’t spend a dime of your own money for our services. We will only get paid if we win thanks to our zero fee guarantee, and if we lose, we don’t get any money at all.
Call our trailer park accident lawyers at Normandie Law Firm for more assistance with your lawsuit.
