If you are a homeowner yourself, you may understand just how much work it is to keep up with state and municipal housing codes and overall keep your premises clear of any potential safety hazards. Yet, you may take pride in your property and find this hard work rewarding. It is unfortunate, though, that many homeowners do not think the same way and fail to rise to this responsibility. Read on to discover the common housing code violations seen amongst Florida homes and how a seasoned Tampa slip and fall lawyer at Merricks Law Group, P.A. can help if you, unfortunately, encounter one.
What are common housing code violations seen amongst Florida homes?
A code enforcement officer may be called to a Florida home to conduct an inspection. If an officer ultimately issues a violation, a homeowner is notified and given a certain amount of time to comply. Unfortunately, sometimes homeowners do not take the seriousness of these violations seriously. This is when accidents are more likely to occur on their property. Without further ado, examples of common housing code violations seen amongst Florida homes include the following:
- A homeowner may not promptly fix a broken smoke alarm.
- A homeowner may not promptly fix broken light switches, faulty outlets, and missing cover plates.
- A homeowner may not promptly fix unsafe stairs and handrails.
- A homeowner may not promptly clear garbage piled in their front yard.
- A homeowner may not routinely mow their front lawn.
- A homeowner may not routinely clean their swimming pool.
- A homeowner may not retain a permit before installing a water heater or electrical points.
- A homeowner may not install non-flame retardant roofing material.
What should I do if I am injured due to such violations?
A homeowner should have ensured that their property was clear of any potential safety hazards before welcoming you as their guest. If they did not, then you may have gotten injured during your visit.
Regardless of the specific circumstances surrounding your injuries, it is unacceptable to be made a victim of a personal injury accident. So when this happens, you must file a claim with the negligent party’s homeowners’ insurance provider. And if you do not receive a sufficient payout from their provider, then you must file a personal injury claim.
For your claim, you must prove that you were a welcomed guest in the negligent party’s home. Then, you must prove that the negligent party knew, or should have reasonably known, about the housing code violations or other hazards on their property, among other things.
You must not question your instinct to retain the services of a competent Hillsborough County personal injury lawyer. Our team at Merricks Law Group, P.A. will work to determine which legal option best suits you.
