It is not surprising to many that California offers over 300,000 Air BNB rental properties throughout the state. The added space, features, and function of an entire rental home far outweigh the offerings of an often bleak and tiny hotel room. In many cases, the Air BNB offers added private outdoor living space, a fully appointed kitchen, and less traffic than staying in a commercial hotel location. The idea sounds perfect until you are forced to deal with one of the drawbacks of staying in an Air BNB, which can include the safety hazard of a stairwell fall due to poor lighting.
Unfortunately, homeowners rarely invest the time and effort in addressing things like poor lighting and other stairwell safety that you would find in any hotel in the state. If the property owner lived in the house, they likely knew every step of the hallways and stairwells well enough to navigate them with their eyes closed. So they might not recognize the danger of not having a well-lit stairwell on the property.
You are not alone if you have been the victim of a fall in an Air BNB stairwell due to poor lighting. Over three million people suffer falls, much like this one, annually. Over a quarter of a million of those victims are admitted to the hospital with serious injuries. Fortunately, the expert fall in stairwell due to poor lighting in an Air BNB attorneys at Normandie Law Firm are here to assist you. We offer free consultations to ensure that every stairwell fall victim understands their rights and how to seek compensation from any party responsible for their injuries and losses. Please contact the office today to learn about the many benefits of working with Normandie Law Firm on your fall in a Stairwell due to poor lighting at an Air BNB lawsuit.
How Does Poor Light Cause Stairwell Falls?
When you think about moving up and down the stairs in your home or at the office, you can’t even really recall thinking about the process. You have made the trek so often that you do it without thinking. Your body uses muscle memory for repetitive motion to move up and down familiar stairwells safely. And you even employ that same recall when traversing an unfamiliar stairwell, such as the one in your California Air BNB rental.
But as a prudent person, you know that trusting habit to carry you safely up and down unfamiliar stairwells is dangerous. So you glance down to see the size and depth of the steps. Unfortunately, everything goes wrong because there is poor lighting in the stairwell. Your muscles and brain are now in direct conflict. Your legs keep pumping to move up or down the steps. But your brain registers a danger warning because you cannot see the step treads or risers. This fraction of a second of conflict can result in a misstep that will turn into a catastrophic fall.
In another equally hazardous scenario, the poor lighting in the Air BNB stairwell does not allow your eyes to catch a glimpse of a piece of paper or other item lying on a step that is about to send you tumbling to the bottom of the stairwell. Or because of the lack of light, you did not notice moisture, a torn piece of carpet, or damaged tread cover that results in unstable footing and a fall down the steps. If only the light had been better, your sharper view of the steps would have allowed you to avoid the slip-and-fall hazard, significant injuries, and a ruined vacation.
Potential Injuries From A Fall In An Air BNB Stairwell Due To Poor Lighting
Sadly, any fall involving a stairwell at an Air BNB is likely to inflict severe injuries. From the distance of the fall to the solid edges of the stair treads, stairwell fall victims take a beating as they tumble. The priority for any Air BNB stairwell fall victim is emergency medical care. Some of the very painful and traumatic injuries from a fall in an Air BNB stairwell can include:
- Broken or fractured bones
- Joint dislocations
- Neck, back, and spinal cord damage
- Head trauma, including a concussion, brain bleed, or traumatic brain injury
- Damage to soft tissue, such as strains, sprains, or tears
- Severe lacerations
- Facial injuries to the mouth, nose, teeth, and eyes
Unfortunately, many serious injuries will leave the victim with a lifetime of pain and limitations. After a severe fall and head injuries, it is not uncommon for the victim to have memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and degraded fine motor skills. And in the worst case, there is a senseless loss of life.
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Be Prepared To Protect Your Rights
After seeking medical care, it is crucial to know that you might need to file a lawsuit to recover the cost of your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages due to your fall and injuries. So it is essential to document as much information regarding the Air BNB and stairwell as possible. Remember, it could be months before your claim is filed, and you will not have access to the location of your fall to take photos to document the area. In addition, the conditions at the Air BNB could change drastically after the owner learns of your fall in the stairwell.
Be sure to document the following with pictures:
- Your injuries from the fall
- The stairwell with and without the lights turned on
- Any handrails
- Close-up images of any damage to the stair treads that contributed to your fall and injuries
In addition, keep copies of your medical evaluation after the fall, all documents related to the rental of the Air BNB, welcome paperwork or information about the house given to you, and any expenses you incurred as a result of the fall.
Who Is Responsible For Your Fall And Injuries?
If you are unfamiliar with premises liability, it could be very confusing to sort out how the owner of the Air BNB is responsible for your medical bills and lost wages due to your fall. The primary purpose of premises liability law is to govern how property owners maintain the structures and land they own. These rules apply to all properties, not just those rented or used for commercial purposes.
These rules state that the owner must maintain the property consistently with what a reasonable person would consider prudent. That includes ensuring there are no safety hazards on the property and undertaking regular reviews or inspections of the property to ensure nothing is damaged or hazardous. In the case of stairwell lighting, a prudent person would typically expect lights at the top and bottom of the stairwell at the very least. And the average person would expect the light to be functioning correctly. If the owner does not meet the typical level of care, they are considered to be in breach of their duty of care for the property. In addition, they are seen as negligent and can be held responsible for injuries caused by their negligence.
To prove that negligence to the court and secure a settlement for your damages, your Normandie Law Firm experts will need to establish at least one of the following:
- The owner knew about the hazard but did nothing to correct it. In addition, they did not place a warning in the hazardous area, remove access to the dangerous area, or warn the renter in writing about the safety hazard.
- The owner was unaware of the safety hazard because they did not conduct regular inspections of the property that would have revealed the hazard.
- The owner created the safety hazard by making a poor or incorrect repair or attempting to repair another issue.
The Value Of A Stairwell Fall Lawsuit
Each lawsuit settlement value is based on the actual losses and bills resulting from the victim’s injuries. Your team at Normandie Law Firm will help you gather all the information needed to estimate the value of your lawsuit to ensure you are getting the fair and full compensation you deserve.
The Timeframe Of Your Lawsuit
Many factors will influence the time needed to settle your lawsuit. From the severity of your injuries to the workload of the court, each aspect will be specific to your case and the time at which it is filed. In addition, it is essential to know that you have only two years from the date of your injury to file a claim for compensation for your losses. There are very few exceptions to this Statute of Limitations, and if any apply to your case, the Normandie team will explain how and why you might have more time to file your lawsuit.
Please get in touch with the Normandie Law Firm as soon as you are able to discuss your stairwell fall at an Air BNB due to poor lighting. When we take your case, we provide a no-fee guarantee, so you owe us nothing unless we secure a settlement for you.
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