I had a slip and fall accident at a friend's apartment. If I sue the landlord because the landlord ignored a loose step, can my friend be dragged in?

If a hazardous condition has previously been identified and addressed to the landlord and it hasn’t been fixed, he most likely would be found to be negligent. However, his insurance company will look to recover costs, too. If the incident was inside your friend’s apartment as opposed to just in the apartment building, and your friend has a renter’s policy, they may try to collect on it. Complex landlord/tenant issues may also require the advice of a real estate attorney, who will charge by the hour, or an attorney who specializes in protecting tenants for damages caused by their landlords.

In many areas, the city or county would be involved in regulating the standards of housing and that would support your claim. There are good and bad landlords, too; and it’s not unheard of for a landlord to retaliate against a tenant, though pretextual eviction is also illegal in many instances. For instance, suppose you file a claim against your landlord and when it comes time to renew your lease, he nearly doubles your rent. In another instance, a landlord might decide to use the existence of a pet to evict. However, you and your friend are within your rights to seek recovery of damages and expect the loose step to be fixed. If this is not taken care of, the landlord opens himself up to punitive damages or even criminal charges.

If you were injured due to a hazardous condition on someone else's property, you should seek the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney right away.