Q: Let’s say a tenant is hurt because the ceiling collapsed on her and the landlord would not have had notice that the ceiling was going to collapse. What would be the argument for landlord responsibility?
There are certain basic obligations that a landlord is responsible for, whether it is with or without notice. They are always responsible for the integrity of the structure of a building. There is never an excuse to allow a wall, elevated walkway, or ceiling to fall on someone.
There are all sorts of property claims. There are construction type claims and building integrity claims. You also have slip, trip, and fall claims. They are not all governed by the same laws, obligations, or duties from one to another. Those kinds of scenarios are not always akin to the types of analysis we do in a slip, trip, and fall case but they are actionable and you should talk to an experienced premises liability attorney should you find yourself in this situation.
