Injured by a Collapsed Ceiling? Get Free Legal Advice
Tenant Claimed Compensation From Landlord for Head Injury
Bartletts Solicitors recently handled a personal injury claim against a landlord on behalf of a tenant who was injured when part of the ceiling at his rented property collapsed. Mr D was at home when a shower of dust and three sizeable lumps of plaster fell from the ceiling, one striking him directly on the head. He sustained a cut that required five stitches, as well as bruising and mild concussion.
A few weeks before, he had told his landlord that the boiler at the property kept losing pressure, and that several cracks had developed in the living room ceiling. Despite the landlord having been informed about the problem, no action had been taken to inspect or repair the boiler. Mr D was sure that the problems with the boiler and ceiling were related, and having subsequently found out that this was indeed the case, he decided to seek legal advice.
- Tenant Advised He Could Claim for Head Injuries
- Landlord Fined £60,000 for Dangerous Ceiling
- Our Experience With Accidents at Home
- The Claims Process
- Your Compensation
We argued that the landlord had acted negligently in failing to deal with the suspected problem reported to him, and in doing so had put his tenant, Mr D, at an unacceptable level of risk. The fact that the boiler was regularly losing pressure would have alerted a plumber to the likelihood of leaking water, and had a qualified professional inspected the boiler it is likely that the accident would have been averted. The landlord owed Mr D a duty of care as his tenant, and was responsible under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 for repairs to installations such as the boiler. The landlord's failure to repair the boiler led to the tenant's injuries. We were later able to agree a compensation settlement with the former's insurers totalling £3,500.
The case illustrates the size of the financial penalty that rogue landlords can be forced to pay for failing to make necessary repairs to their properties, while leaving their tenants exposed to the risk of getting injured or made ill in the meantime. Babies and young children, in particular, may be struck and injured by pieces of plaster falling from damaged ceilings, while inhaling plaster dust can cause breathing problems and asthma. Defective ceilings are often only one of various disrepair issues at rented properties, but can be one of the most dangerous. This recent case highlights the fact that landlords will be held accountable if they fail to deal promptly with disrepair issues, and place the health and safety of their tenants at risk.
The amount of compensation you receive will depend on the severity of your injuries and the likelihood that you’ll make a full recovery. We’ll seek expert opinions on what care you’ll need to ensure that the compensation we claim will be sufficient.
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Every year we help over a thousand injured people make claims for compensation on a no win no fee basis. Many are tenants claiming against their landlords.
We help tenants claim for personal injury, such as slips, falls and injuries caused by unsafe structures.
Our service is designed to be easy to use: meetings by phone & email, local medical appointments, sign documents online, or visit our city centre offices.
Our solicitors are very experienced having worked at the firm for an average of 18 years.
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Accident Claims Caused by Disrepair We Have Won:
- Slips and Trips on Unsafe Steps
- Injuries From Defective Home Appliances
- Trips on Damaged or Loose Carpeting
- Injuries From Collapsing Ceilings
- Dangerous Fixtures and Furnishings
- Slipping Accidents at Rented Properties
- Accidents in Communal Areas
Accident and Disrepair Topics:
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Bartletts is proud to support a number of public bodies and charities, including Liverpool Cathedral, National Museums Liverpool, the Walker Art Gallery and Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice. You can find out more on our blog or on social media.
“I was delighted Bartletts Solicitors continued their tradition of philanthropy with Liverpool Cathedral this year. Thank you so much for your generous gift.” - The Dean of Liverpool, The Very Revd Dr. Sue Jones (Dec 2020)