Interior and Exterior Lighting Requirements
When you think about a slip, trip, and fall accident, your first thought as to the cause might be a puddle of water in a supermarket aisle or a crack in a city sidewalk. But one of the most common causes of preventable accidents is actually inadequate lighting. After all, if a person cannot properly see a potential hazard in front of them, they are less likely to avoid slipping or tripping on it.
This is why Washington law imposes a duty on property owners to maintain adequate interior and exterior lighting on their premises. Unfortunately, many owners fail to take that duty seriously. So if you have been injured in an accident because you literally could not see where you were going, an experienced lawyer may be able to help. At the Emerald Law Group, we represent clients injured in slip, trip, and fall accidents caused by the negligent acts of property owners. We can help you fight for any compensation you may be entitled to under the law.
Poor Lighting Can Lead to Tripping Accidents and Criminal Activity
A property owner must ensure that the common areas of their buildings are reasonably safe for the persons who are lawfully entitled to be on the premises. This includes not just commercial buildings like stores and offices but also residential buildings like apartment complexes and condominiums. Among other things, this means that the property owner or their management company must ensure there is proper lighting in places like stairways, hallways, lobbies, and parking lots.
Proper lighting is often a matter of common sense. Burn-out light bulbs need to be replaced. If an external light is flickering due to faulty wiring, it needs to be examined by an electrician. Good property owners will regularly inspect the premises to proactively identify and correct these and other lighting issues. Negligent property owners will ignore the problem and hope nobody gets hurt.
The problem is that people frequently do get hurt. An apartment resident can trip down the stairs going to the laundry room because they could not see the next step in front of them. A customer of a store trips on a crack in the parking lot pavement during pitch-black conditions. Or a person is even the victim of a mugging or assault because the perpetrator knew that a particular area was poorly lit. In all of these cases, the property owner may be held legally responsible for the victim’s losses, including medical bills, lost income, and emotional distress.
Contact Emerald Law Group Today
Proving any personal injury case requires a good deal of preliminary investigation. This is especially true in cases where inadequate lighting may have been a factor, as it may be necessary to gather evidence such as pictures of the scene, surveillance footage, and even eyewitness testimony to prove the property owner or manager’s negligence. A qualified Seattle inadequate lighting lawyer can assist you with this and all other aspects of a personal injury claim. So if you need to speak with someone, contact the Emerald Law Group today to schedule an initial consultation.
