Michigan Apartment Building Injury Lawyers

A Michigan apartment building injury lawyer can help if you were injured due to a dangerous condition or if you rented an apartment in the building.  In addition a person visiting a tenant in an apartment building can sue if injured due to a dangerous or defective condition at the apartment.

Landlords and property managers can be held liable in a premises liability lawsuit for harm suffered to negligent maintenance of the property.  If you were injured to due negligent maintenance or dangerous conditions on the property, you can sue the apartment building owner and manager for recoverable damages.

Buckfire Law also represents apartment tenants and other people injured while visiting the apartment building for social visits, business purposes, or to perform their work. This includes guuests of the tenant, utility workers, postal workers, landscapers, and maintenance contractors. These cases can result in substantial settlements.

Lawsuits can be filed against the apartment owner, the management company, or any contractor hired by them to make repairs or perform work at the property. This can include repairmen, maintenance workers, and even snow removal services that perform work in a negligent manner.

• What to do After an Apartment Building Injury
• Should I Speak with the Insurance Adjuster without a Lawyer?
• Can I Sue the Apartment Complex Landlord?
• Contact Our Michigan Apartment Lawsuit Lawyers

Common Types of Apartment Building Negligence

Our injury lawyers sue apartment complexes for  injuries and accidents that occur at buildings and common areas. The most common lawsuits include:

• Slip and fall on snow and ice,
• Broken and defective sidewalks, steps, and parking lots
• Stairway injuries
• Negligent security, or inadequate security
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Lead poisoning
• Fires and smoke inhalation
• Broken and defective steps
• Broken handrails
• Elevator injuries
• Falling cabinets and ceilings

What to do After a Michigan Apartment Building Injury

It is important for the injured person to report the incident to the apartment complex management as soon as possible after the injury and to prepare an accident report. This will document that the incident did in fact happen and will often prompt an investigation into the accident.

It is also helpful if the injured person or someone else photograph the defect or condition that caused the injury. This will provide excellent evidence in support of the case and is best if done shortly after the incident and before repairs are made to the building or premises.

And most important, seek prompt medical attention for your injury. If you do not get treatment shortly after the accident, the apartment’s insurance company may argue that you were never injured.  In many cases, you can get reimbursed for your out of pocket medical expenses in a settlement.

Should I Speak with the Insurance Adjuster without a Lawyer?

After you file an incident report, you may get a phone call from an insurance adjuster. While it is good to cooperate with an investigation, you should be wary of the adjuster’s true motives.

The adjuster may record your phone call as part of the investigation. However, your statement will often be later used against you to deny your claim.

It is smart to hire a lawyer who specializes in apartment injury cases to help you so you do not make a major mistake that will destroy your opportunity to get a settlement.

Can I Sue a Michigan Apartment Complex Landlord?

Under Michigan, the apartment building has the legal duty to make the premises safe for tenants of the building and others who are lawfully on the premises.  Every case is unique, but you may be able to sue the apartment complex if you were harmed due to a dangerous or defective condition on the property.

The failure to provide a safe building can give rise to a negligence lawsuit if a person is injured on the property.

There is also a statutory duty to keep the building and premises safe for tenants who live in the building.

Under MCLA 554.139(a), an apartment complex has a legal duty to keep the premises fit for their intended use and in reasonable repair. A violation of this statute is evidence of negligence.

In addition, the “open and obvious” defense used by landlords to dismiss injury cases cannot be used in a lawsuit against an apartment complex. The Michigan courts have made this very clear.

What is the Compensation in an Apartment Complex Lawsuit?

Under Michigan law, there are several types of recoverable damages in cases against apartment owners and managers. These are the same types of damages in all personal injury lawsuits.

You can receive compensation for your physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life. These are known as non-economic damages.

In addition, you can claim economic damages. This is compensation for any financial losses suffered due to your injury. They include medical bills, lost wages, and other specific monetary losses.

Examples of Michigan Apartment Building Settlements

• $ 1,000,000 settlement for a the family of a tenant who died from smoke inhalation in an apartment building.  The building did not have working smoke detectors.
• $ 975,000 wrongful death lawsuit settlement against a Macomb County, Michigan apartment complex for the family of a young girl who died tragically from being strangled by a defective window blind cord.
• $600,000 settlement in a carbon monoxide poisoning case for a woman who suffered brain damage from a defective furnace unit.
• $475,000 settlement for a senior citizen who suffered multiple bone fractures from a slip and fall on ice just outside his apartment building front door.
• $560,000 settlement against an apartment complex for a broken handrail.  The handrail broke off the fall causing the tenant to fall down steps and suffer fatal injuries.
• $235,000 settlement for a man who injured his knee after he tripped and fell on a raised portion of sidewalk in his apartment complex.

Contact Our Michigan Apartment Lawsuit Lawyers

Our Michigan apartment complex injury attorneys have won significant settlements and judgments for clients injured due to a defect or hazard at an apartment building.

To find out if you have a case, contact our office today.

We charge no legal fees unless you win a settlement. And, it costs no money to start your case.

For immediate help and to start your claim, call us now.