Maintaining Equipment Is Also Part Of Premises Liability
Michael Babboni
Premises Liability
A good accident lawyer can immediately get on the case and help with you a personal injury court case if it’s something obvious, like a slip and fall that’s occurred in someone’s home, or a business/commercial space. After all, the ability to walk safely through a structure without injury from a floor is a basic legal right that everyone is entitled to.What you may not realize is that this same responsibility for safety also extends to the equipment and hardware that is present in a home, place of work, or other commercial, retail or public space. And that means that if the equipment isn’t properly maintained, and an injury occurs as a result, this is also grounds for a personal injury case you’ll want to discuss with an accident lawyer.
It’s Not Just Amusement Parks
The most obvious case of equipment maintenance being an issue that can lead to injuries are amusement parks and other family-oriented entertainment spaces. If a complex, mechanical ride, such as a rollercoaster, or a carousel isn’t properly maintained, and something goes wrong that results in an injury, most people would expect that angry parents have every right take legal action. This is especially true if it’s found that proper safety inspections and maintenance weren’t expended on these rides simply because of a wish to not waste time or money.
However, while the amusement park scenario presents clear examples of why equipment maintenance is important, it is far from the only time such considerations play a role in environmental safety. Any home, work space, industrial or commercial area has the same obligations.
This means that if a gas burning furnace in a commercial building is faulty, and the owners continue to ignore the inherent risk in not repairing it, legal and financial liability exists. If that same furnace should eventually result in some kind of gas explosion, and it is later conclusively decided that the neglect of the furnace is what led to the gas explosion, then anyone injured in that gas explosion is very likely to be eligible to participate in a personal injury lawsuit.
This extends to other equipment as well, such as the electronics in an office. If there is a microwave in the small office kitchen that presents an electrical risk, or if too many electronics are plugged into a power bar, despite power-use recommendations, and this results in an electrical fire, with injuries, any of these incidents could be attributed as the fault of the property owner.
Keep Things In Good Condition
This is why it’s so important, whether you’re a homeowner or an entrepreneur, to not let the excuses of “It’s too expensive,” or “I don’t have the time for this right now,” be the reason you use to not address a potential, preventable environmental hazard. Lack of time or finances is not going to be a valid reason that defends a property owner in court, if an injury comes about as a result of that negligence. In fact, such reasons may actually strengthen a negligence accusation in a court of law.