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3 maintenance failures that can lead to stairway accidents

by | Jan 6, 2022 | Premises Liability

Some landlords are notorious for doing the least amount of maintenance they legally can. Many of them will push things even further than that and fail to do basic, necessary maintenance to their buildings.

 If you live in an older building, your landlord may not maintain things as carefully as they should. Some of their maintenance oversights could directly affect your safety. Failing to address the three issues below on a stairway may be negligent on the part of a property owner.

Loose or missing handrails

When someone loses their balance, a handrail gives them an opportunity to stop themselves from actually falling down to the bottom of the stairs. Some people who have issues with their sense of balance or problems with their joints may rely on a handrail to safely navigate stairs every time they go up and down them.

If a landlord does not keep a handrail in good condition and able to bear weight, it could directly contribute to someone falling down the stairs.

Burned-out light bulbs

It’s easy enough to trip while going up and down stairs in good condition, but when the space is dark, it is much more dangerous. Someone could misplace their foot, tumbling over the edge of a stair. They might fail to see an obstacle that will send them tumbling down the stairs. Keeping stairways properly illuminated is crucial for safety.

Peeling or otherwise damaged floor

The flooring on stairs needs to provide adequate traction. Boards that come loose when people step on them as well as flooring peeling up from the subfloor could trip people and make them fall.

When landlords commit major oversights of maintenance, individuals can get severely hurt as a result. Recognizing forms of negligent maintenance that can cause someone’s slip-and-fall can help you hold a landlord accountable for their poor maintenance practices.

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