State Laws
What if I am injured by some defect on the landlord's property?

Landlords can cause tenant injuries in various ways. Failure to repair a loose stair or railing can cause a tenant to fall. Faulty wiring can lead to a fire that injures a tenant and destroys a tenant's belongings. A leaky roof might cause dampness and mold that triggers allergies in a tenant's children. A broken window during the winter can lead to illness. On occasion, even an attack by another tenant (or a tenant's dog) can lead to landlord liability, if the landlord had prior notice of the danger on the property and failed to take reasonable steps to protect you.

If anything like this happens to you, call a lawyer right away. You won't have to pay anything. The lawyer will take your case on a "contingent fee" - he gets a portion of anything awarded to you (and he gets nothing if you lose the case). Tenant lawyers have a lot of experience negotiating with (and suing) insurance companies and landlords, and they can get a lot more money than you can from negotiating on your own.

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