Summer is the best time of year, according to almost anyone you ask. The weather is fine, there’s plenty of opportunities to get outside and play tennis or team sports, and it’s often when folks use their vacation time to get up north and soak in the natural beauty of Canada. After a long harsh winter, the warmth and long days are extremely welcome – not to mention the fact that the threat of slipping on ice and being pummeled by snowstorms disappears. However, even in the summertime there are many hazards that can lead to a slip and fall or equivalent injury that can leave you sidelined for weeks or months. Missing out on the summer is no fun, and if an accident occurs due to somebody else’s negligence, you aren’t helpless; an experienced slip and fall lawyer can help you obtain a fair settlement for physical and emotional trauma suffered.
While the vacation industry used to be regulated through resorts and hotels, the rise of peer-to-peer services such as Airbnb (which connects customers directly to private property owners) has opened up a Pandora’s Box that has transformed the way people travel and throws some of those regulations to the wind. For example: while all hotels and resorts are carefully scrutinized by inspectors making sure they are up to code, the property of private individuals is only as safe as the owner is diligent. Therefore, a whole new frontier of legal complications arises; if the owner who rents you their property is not performing maintenance and keeping their home safe, then there is a very strong possibility that an injury and subsequent legal action could follow.
At Goodman Elbassiouni LLP in Toronto and the GTA, we hope that you and your family have a safe, joyous summer. If, however, you or someone you care about hurts themselves on vacation, know that we’re here to guide you through the ensuing chaos and help spearhead the legal battle if in fact there has been an issue of liability and negligence. We highly recommend doing an in-depth inspection of the landing page for the rental property your considering, reading the specs and reviews and looking carefully at the pictures. If there aren’t many pictures, or they are of a lower quality, this is usually a sign that the property is not well kept and should probably be avoided.
One of the best tactics is to rely on word-of-mouth from friends and family: if someone you trust had an excellent experience and found a vacation property to be up to snuff, then you can feel confident booking it. Key issues to look for are wooden staircases that look old and dilapidated, missing or damaged railings, poor lighting and uneven flooring that can pose a tripping hazard. If you have small children, be especially vigilant when doing a background check on the place and be sure to identify any trouble spots where toddlers or young children could hurt themselves.
Hopefully, you can enjoy a safe and fun summer without needing to enlist a workers comp lawyer in Ontario – but if you find yourself injured due to someone else’s negligence, don’t be a victim; call Goodman Elbassiouni LLP!
