Q: Two months ago I went down to a laundry room in the basement of our house. My wife didn’t feel well that day, and I decided to help her to do laundry. It was semi-dark in the basement, and the floor was freshly painted in a dark color. Therefore, I was not able to notice the unevenness between tiles on the floor, stumbled, fell down, and broke my leg. Can I get any compensation from the house owner for my suffering? That difference in height between tiles was almost an inch!
A: Yes, you can obtain material compensation for your pain and suffering by taking legal action. A height difference of more than half an inch between tiles is considered dangerous, and it’s a basis for filing a lawsuit against the landlord. Also, it will be necessary to prove that the owner of the house or his representatives (a superintendent or other employees) knew or should have known about the existence of that defect. This fact, of course, is usually denied by the landlord. You mentioned that the floor was freshly painted, which means that the person who painted it probably saw the unevenness and had to report it. Besides of that, poor lighting can also be proven by experts. Thus, don’t waste your time; come to our office, and we will help you to file a lawsuit.
