Thanks to building codes and regulations that make owners responsible for maintaining their property, most of the buildings we enter and land we travel over each day is safe. While most property owners take pride in their property and make sure it is safe for people who enter it, there are some owners who are not as diligent. These owners create risk for the rest of us when they violate building codes, housing codes, or safety regulations or are negligent in other ways.

Sometimes these violations result in relatively minor, although costly, injuries. However, all too often the victim does not survive the injuries, leaving his or her family to cope with a devastating loss.

If someone close to you has died as the result of a dangerous condition on somebody else’s property, you may have what is known as a premises liability case for wrongful death. Premises liability cases are lawsuits that generally result from a person responsible for a property allowing it to be in an unsafe condition. Premises liability cases include a wide range of activities that cause injury. Some examples are:

• Negligent swimming pool maintenance or failure to fence in a swimming pool, which may lead to drowning.
• Collapsing floors, porches, stairs, or other structures.
• Slip-and-fall accidents, which may be caused by snow, ice, water, or other substances.
• Building code violations.
• Dangerous conditions like poor lighting or blocked exits that prevent a person from leaving the premises safely in case of a fire or other emergency.
• Unmarked and unblocked holes, wells or other hazards.

A premises liability suit can be brought for injuries and deaths that occur on just about any type of property, such as an apartment the victim rented, the victim’s workplace, a sidewalk that has not been maintained properly, recreational facilities, public accommodations, or the home of an acquaintance. Responsible parties may include the owner of the property, a commercial tenant, the victim’s landlord, or even a state or local government.

The sudden, unexpected wrongful death of a loved one as the result of negligent property maintenance can cause major emotional and financial strain for the family of the deceased. To help alleviate this strain, Massachusetts state law allows the families of wrongful death victims to recover financial compensation from the parties responsible for the death. You may get compensation for:

• Lost income, such as wages your loved one would have earned.
• The pain and suffering your loved one might have experienced prior to their death.
• The cost of their funeral and burial.
• Medical bills from treating the victim’s injuries.
• The loss of consortium, care, companionship, society and guidance the victim would have provided to you and other family members.

The attorneys at Sheff Law have been helping the families of wrongful death victims protect their rights for over six decades. In addition to our legal expertise, we will work with experts in relevant fields, such as medicine, to build a strong case for you and help you receive compensation for your loss. For an initial consultation, free of charge, please fill out the form to the left or call us at (617) 227-7000 or (888) 423-4477. We stand ready to help you.