Could Poor Lighting Have Caused My Slip And Fall Accident?
If you have sustained an injury as a result of a slip and fall accident on someone’s premises, you might be entitled to financial compensation for your physical, emotional, and monetary damages. It is natural to wonder about the cause of the accident and whether or not you can file a lawsuit against the party responsible for the accident.
Numerous hazardous conditions at a property may contribute to a slip and fall accident, including slippery floors, broken tiles, loose carpeting, lack of maintenance, inadequate lighting, etc. Poor lighting is one of the most common causes of such accidents due to being a frequently neglected area by property owners.
How Does Poor Lighting Cause Slip and Fall Accidents?
Inadequate lighting at a residential or commercial property might not seem dangerous at first glance but carries a significant risk of serious physical injury because of the following reasons:
- Inadequate lighting at a property can cause people to slip and fall due to non-hazardous conditions that would not otherwise pose a risk of harm in good lighting. For example, in good lighting, climbing a flight of stairs does not put a person at an increased risk of physical injury. However, the same safe staircase might cause a person to slip and fall under bad lighting conditions.
- Other than making safe conditions hazardous, bad lighting at a property may conceal the safety hazards, therefore, putting the visitors at an increased risk of injury. In case of broken flooring, good lighting serves to caution the visitors and prevents the risk of slip and fall accidents. Under bad lighting conditions, liquid spills, broken flooring, loose carpeting, and broken staircases, etc., cannot be seen and avoided, leading to unfortunate slip and fall accidents.
Causes of Poor Lighting
Poor lighting conditions at the property might result from the flaws in the structural design of the property. Alternatively, the lack of maintenance of existing lights at the property might also contribute to poor lighting conditions within the premises. Failure to replace the broken or burnt light bulbs is one of the most common examples of said negligence on the part of the property owner.
Determining Liability
Most slip and fall accidents caused due to poor lighting conditions are preventable. Besides, the property owners owe the residents and visitors a duty of care. Any negligence on the part of the property owner violates this duty of care and makes him/her liable for the damages resulting from a slip and fall injury according to the Premises Liability Law.
The Premises Liability Law is only valid in case of accidents that occur on someone else’s property. In case of a slip and fall injury at n your property, your homeowner’s insurance or medical insurance will cover your financial damages.
Importance of an Attorney
If you got injured in a slip and fall accident due to poor lighting, you should hire a competent attorney, most notably the slip and fall accident attorneys at Salamati Law in Los Angeles, CA, to make sure that you receive adequate financial compensation. An experienced attorney will help keep you organized throughout the lawsuit and assist in obtaining the best possible settlement for your case.