With the rising costs of housing, more and more people are choosing to rent rather than purchase homes. As such, many people in Maryland rely on landlords to keep apartment buildings and rental units safe. When landlords are negligent, tenants may get hurt.
Generally, lawsuits against landlords are allowed for premises liability issues. Common examples of landlord negligence may include slip and fall accidents, fires, issues with habitability, and mold that makes tenants sick. Your landlord should not be allowed to evict you because you sue them, and an attorney can help make sure your rights are not further infringed upon.
If you suffered injuries because of your landlord’s negligence, our legal team can help you file a lawsuit. Call our Baltimore premises liability attorneys for guidance and representation. Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 for a free case review.
Can I File a Personal Injury Lawsuit Against My Landlord in Maryland?
You can certainly file a personal injury lawsuit against your landlord in Maryland for a few different reasons. the fact that the defendant is your landlord does not prevent you from suing for damages in many cases. Typically, a personal injury lawsuit against a landlord will probably be about premises liability rather than any terms of your lease. If you believe you were harmed because of your landlord, call our Maryland premises liability attorneys for assistance right away.
Premises liability is an area of law in which liability is determined based on property ownership. Essentially, if a person is injured on someone else’s property, the property owner could be held liable and may have to pay for the injured person’s damages.
Simply owning the property where an accident occurred does not automatically make a landlord liable for damages. the accident must have occurred because of the landlord’s negligence. Since landlords tend to be responsible for maintaining the property and keeping certain areas safe for tenants, many possible instances of negligence might allow you to sue your landlord.
Premises Liability Lawsuit Against Landlords for Poor Living Conditions in Maryland?
Perhaps your injuries did not come from a single act of negligence by your landlord. If your landlord has always been negligent in maintaining the property, the property may fall into a state of disrepair over time. Eventually, the premises are unlivable, and the poor conditions may cause accidents, injuries, or illness.
When arguing about negligence, you can use any violations of the implied warranty of habitability to support your claims. This warranty exists in every state and every lease contract. it cannot be signed away no matter what your landlord tells you. it also exists in Maryland statutes under Md. Code, Real Prop., § 8-211. Our Maryland premises liability attorneys can help you review your case for any negligent breaches of the implied warranty of habitability.
The statute spells out specific problems that landlords are responsible for. For example, heat, light, electricity, running water, plumbing, rodent infestations, structural defects, and fire hazards are all under the landlord’s responsibility. If a landlord fails to rectify any of these issues and you end up getting sick or hurt, you can file a personal injury lawsuit.
Common Personal Injury Cases Against Landlords in Maryland
There are numerous ways in which a landlord’s negligence could cause personal injuries. Our Maryland premises liability attorneys are here to help with cases such as the following:
Slip and Fall Accidents
If a common area is not properly maintained, tenants could slip and fall and become severely injured. If you slipped or tripped in your apartment building because your landlord failed to maintain the property, you can file a personal injury lawsuit.
Slip and fall accidents often happen on wet, slippery, or uneven surfaces. Uneven stairs in an apartment building or an icy sidewalk in front of your apartment may cause serious injuries. Our Maryland personal injury attorneys can help you get compensation from your landlord.
Fires
Fires are extremely dangerous and may affect all the tenants in an apartment building. Fires can start unexpectedly and spread very quickly. If the fire stems from a defect the landlord failed to correct, like faulty wiring in the building, they can be held liable. If broken or faulty alarm systems, sprinklers, or fire doors contributed to your burn injuries or smoke inhalation, that could also be the landlord’s fault.
If you were injured in an apartment fire, talk to our Maryland premises liability attorneys about your legal options. If a loved one was in an apartment fire and did not survive, you may file a wrongful death lawsuit against the landlord. Often, fires must be investigated by the fire department before we can get a precise cause of the fire.
Mold
People usually think of mold as something gross that needs to be cleaned up but is otherwise not a big deal. In reality, mold can be dangerous. Mold can get in the air and cause lung problems and other serious health conditions. An illness counts as a personal injury for the purposes of filing a lawsuit.
Not only is mold dangerous, but it is often unseen. Mold can sometimes lurk underneath tiles or behind walls where you do not notice it. As it grows and spreads, you might become sicker.
Our Aberdeen personal injury attorneys can help you gather the necessary medical evidence to file your lawsuit. You should seek medical attention from a doctor immediately and make sure you document any new health concerns. Medical bills can be very expensive, and you should not have to foot the bill for your landlord’s negligence.
Can I Be Evicted if I Sue My Landlord in Maryland?
Your landlord owns the apartment you live in, so it makes sense you do not want to make them mad. At the same time, you should not have to live in subpar conditions or suffer painful injuries due to your landlord’s negligence. If you file a lawsuit against your landlord, you can rest assured that they cannot legally evict you.
According to Md. Code, Real Prop., § 8-208.1(a), a landlord cannot evict a tenant as retaliation for a complaint or lawsuit. If you believe your landlord is trying to evict you after you filed a lawsuit, talk to an attorney.
Call Our Maryland Premises Liability Attorneys for Help
If your landlord’s negligence harmed you, our Easton personal injury attorneys can help you file a lawsuit against your landlord. Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 for a free case review.