Despite being named the Sunshine State, there still are locations throughout Fort Myers and the surrounding areas where inadequate lighting creates unsafe conditions. Apartment buildings, hotel stairwells, parking garages, and businesses often have broken or inadequate lighting which can pose a safety threat. Buildings can also be designed in such a manner so that even working lighting does not adequately illuminate potential hazards. Negligence in both maintenance and design can create conditions that result in a serious trip or slip and fall incidents and potentially serious injuries.
Businesses and landlords have a duty to provide adequate lighting for their patrons, tenants, and visitors. Residents of Fort Myers are most commonly affected by inadequate lighting when travelling to a new or unfamiliar location. Latent perils that may be apparent during the day or well known to frequent visitors pose a much greater threat when concealed from the view of an unsuspecting visitor. Similarly, part-time residents of Southwest Florida may return and be unaware of changes or damage that has occurred during their absence and is not be visible at night.
Recently, our firm was contacted by individual who split his residence between Southwest Florida and New York. He returned to his home after several months away to find that the exterior lighting to his apartment building was no longer functioning. The stairwell leading to his second floor apartment was pitch black and posed a serious risk to both tenants and visitors. Unfortunately, this individual tripped and fell while attempting to climb the stairs resulting in serious and permanent injuries. After completing our investigation it was revealed that the property owner was aware of the lack of lighting, that the problem had been reported on numerous occasions by several different people, and the issue would have been resolved by simply replacing several burnt out light-bulbs.
If you have suffered an injury to improper lighting or building maintenance, contact Trial Pro right now by calling 800-874-2577 to discuss your legal rights.