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Have You Suffered an Injury Due to Poor Lighting on Someone Else’s Property? We Might Be Able to Help

How well lit a person’s property is can have a big impact on how safe it is. Sometimes companies will dim their lighting to create a “mood,” and others might simply not repair lights as they burn out. Whatever the cause, there are several types of accidents that can result from poor lighting, and it is possible that the owner of the property can be held responsible for those accidents.

Learn about a few examples of these types of accidents and then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 if you believe you have a premises liability case. You can reach us today for your free case evaluation.

Slip and Fall Accidents Can Result from Poor Lighting

A property owner is not always held responsible for a slip and fall accident, but they can be if their negligence was the cause of the accident. For example, if you slip on a spilled drink at a bar, whether or not the property owner would be liable would depend largely on how long the spill was there. If you fell five minutes after the spill, then they might not be responsible as they did not have time to clean it up. If you fell two hours later, after several people alerted the bartender to the danger, then they would likely be found negligent.

Likewise, if you slip and fall due to a lack of lighting, whether or not the owner was at fault would depend on whether they knew there was a hazard – or should have known. If they purposely dimmed their lights to unsafe levels, then they knew of the hazard. If a light had just burnt out that night, then they might not be found at fault.

Trip and Fall Accidents Are More Common in Low-Light Settings

Your risk of tripping and falling will generally increase when an area is not well lit. Consider that in a dim hallway, you are more likely to trip over a lump in the carpet than you would be if there was adequate light. You might trip in a movie theater if their lights along the aisles are not working correctly. Property owners are required to both have these types of safety lights installed and to inspect them on a regular basis to ensure they are working.

Poor Lighting Can Increase the Chance of Assault

If you are on someone else’s property and are assaulted due to low lighting, then the property owner might be liable. You would need to prove that they knew or should have known about the low lighting in their garage, parking, lot, etc., and that the low lighting caused the unsafe condition that directly led to your assault. This can be difficult to do but your personal injury attorney might be able to build a case to get you the compensation you deserve.