If someone breaks into your apartment and injures you, it’s fairly clear that the intruder is the one at fault. They directly caused your injuries. You may think your only option to get compensation for medical bills is to sue that intruder.
In actuality, though, your landlord may also be at fault. What you have to ask yourself is whether or not the building had proper security and how that allowed the crime — and the injury — to happen.
The level of safety you expect
Now, the level of security that you get is different from one apartment building to the next. But even if you do not have a modern building with high-tech security features and a guard at the front door, you should expect some level of safety in the apartment. Examples of breaches of safety could include things like:
- A broken fence that makes it easier for someone to get onto the grounds
- A missing lock on the main door or on the apartment door itself
- Missing or broken locks on the windows
- A lack of lighting in important areas, providing shadows and cover for someone approaching the building
- A remote lock or a garage door that can be opened with a non-approved device
You may also want to consider missing keys. If former tenants lose or keep their keys, and the landlord refuses to change the locks, you could be exposed to crime and injury from whoever has those keys.
In short, you deserve to be safe in your apartment. If the landlord or the owner compromises that safety and you get injured, you must know how to seek proper compensation for your losses.