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For some homeowners, their bathroom may be their oasis, a place to escape after a long day of work. However, there are hidden hazards in the bathroom, with slippery surfaces created by wet floors or residue from cleaning products. The safety of anyone who uses your shower or tub is key. And you could potentially be liable if a guest suffers a slip and fall in your bathroom. Here’s what to know in the event someone takes a spill.
Liability for Bathroom Falls
Let’s try a hypothetical situation here. Your friend is staying over, and you’ve been showing off your bathroom renovation. You’d been talking about shower remodeling for some time, and now you finally have everything in place. From the right color shower tile to the fixtures that work perfectly with the vanity and overall decor.
Before they call it a night, your guest decides to give that new steam shower a test run. After a relaxing wash, they lose their footing stepping out of the tub, and go flying, bumping their head and injuring their shoulder pretty bad.
That friend may enlist the help of a slip and fall lawyer to cover their medical expenses, finding you liable for their injuries. Nonfatal slip and fall injuries are quite commonplace; everything from broken bones to concussions has happened with one misstep out of even the most durable tub or shower stall.
If the injury resulted from your negligence as a homeowner, they could have a viable case. Still, it’s important to consider your own legal representation for a free consultation to determine if you missed something in your bathroom remodel.
Compensation for Slip & Fall
Your homeowners’ insurance could your saving grace if a guest injured anywhere on your property. Bathroom injury claims would pursued just like any other slip and fall claim against a homeowner.
If you as a property owner, did not reasonably act to prevent falls by guests. A claim could be filed against your insurance policy. If leaks discovered in plumbing that led to puddles on the floor or cracks in the tile, an attorney could find that you’re liable for the incident.
Although homeowners obligated to practice duty of care to keep their premises safe. It must proven that the owner was negligent in their duty to keep the premises in good condition. However, there could be issues with baths or tubs that a homeowner may not have been aware of.
Product liability claims are also common in slip and fall cases, as warps and defects in fixtures could be to blame. A homeowner’s warranty for that product could spare them from being on the hook for their guest’s medical expenses.
Bathroom Safety
While you may have your bathroom design in place. You still need to be sure that you’ve made that environment safe not only for guests. But for your family members as well. Ensuring that you have implemented safety measures. As simple as a bathmat could reduce the risk of a slip and fall.
Also, it could work in your favor in the event of an accident claim against your insurance. Showing you took caution as a homeowner to make your bathroom safe.
Be sure to consider the needs of the people that use that shower or tub the most. If you’re working with a home improvement contractor on a remodel, ask them their advice to prevent slips and falls. That professional help could help you from running into a legal issue in the long run.
After all, you could be facing a lawsuit from a guest, but you’ll want to have the peace of mind. That you’ve done your part to prevent such an incident from happening.