Did you rent a vacation home this past summer and something went terribly wrong? Maybe you rented a short-term rental and your vacation or business trip was ruined because something fell from the ceiling or you were otherwise injured because of a defect with the property? However you were injured, you should know that you might be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries if the accident occurred because the property owner did not properly maintain the rental in a safe condition. Here are some tips to keep in mind after suffering a personal injury while on a rental property.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Who is Local to Where the Injury Occurred
If you were vacationing in a different state, you may want to find a personal injury attorney who is local to the state or even the city or town where the injury or incident took place. Laws may vary from state to state, and you want to make sure you do everything by the letter of the law while moving forward with a lawsuit. Your local attorney may also be familiar with laws regarding the upkeep of a house or property, and that could be especially beneficial to your case.
Document If You Still Can
If you still have access to the rental, document what you can before you leave or if you are able. Did the chandelier fall off the ceiling and hit someone? Were you walking along the outdoor deck and one of the floor planks suddenly broke and you fell through? Document any remaining evidence of the incident as this can help you tell a story to the judge or jury if it comes to that in court.
Figure Out What the Property Owner Knew and When
With the assistance of an attorney, you can start researching what the property owner who rented out the space to you knew about the defect or problem with the home before renting it to you. See if you can compile a list of other previous renters if you are using a short-term rental site where people post reviews. Local housing authorities or inspectors might have documentation if they previously inspected the house or informed the house owner of a defect with the property. If you can prove that the homeowner did not properly maintain the house or maybe even knew about the specific problem that led to your injury before you rented it, you may be able to say they were negligent in their duties as a property owner, and that will be to your benefit in a personal injury case.
Contact a personal injury lawyer near you to learn more.
