Owning your own home is a dream come true for many people across the country. And in many ways, this is a fundamental part of the classic American dream.
You’ve probably heard about this dream: You work hard and graduate from school, then go on to college and attain your degree. You land a good-paying job, get married, buy a house, and have a couple of kids; maybe even get a dog and a cat along the way.
Well, this is a good life for some. And homeownership certainly has its rewards. But what do you do when someone comes to your house and they get injured?
Chances are you didn’t know there were hazards around your home. But it’s your job as a homeowner to ensure that your home is safe for anyone who visits.
If you want to avoid premise liability lawsuits where someone gets injured on your property, here, we’ll explore a few ways you can make your home safe.
Home Inspections
Perhaps your first line of defence exists before you purchase your home. And this is when you get your home inspected by a licensed home inspector.
If an inspector is in line with his due diligence, he or she will inspect the home top to bottom to look for all evident damages. Though an initial home inspection is often mandatory for a mortgage lender to release funds, these home inspections typically focus on areas of the home that will need repair in the future.
But during an inspection, an inspector might come across some minor hazards that you’ll want to take note of.
An ageing roof is often a sure problem area of most older homes. And when you have roof damage, all sorts of problems can occur. And the last thing you want is to have your ceiling cave in on your neighbour when he’s welcoming you to the neighbourhood. So ensure that your inspection is thorough.
Fix All Minor Issues
It’s often said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And this is entirely true when it comes to keeping your home safe.
For example, maybe you were walking around in your kitchen and you almost tripped on a loose tile. Well, instead of simply leaving it be, you should get down on the ground and inspect your floor.
One loose tile could be a signal that you have an ageing floor and more tiles could become loose. And this is just an accident waiting to happen.
Additionally, any areas that need repair within the home should be noted and fixed immediately. Whether these are wiggly stairs or railings, faulty light switches, loose cabinet doors, or anything else, it will be in your best interest to get these things fixed before they get worse, and before an accident occurs on your property.
Carefully Survey Your Property
Believe it or not, many premise liability lawsuits happen on the property, not necessarily inside the home.
In order to prevent an accident before it happens, you need to know any and all problem areas of your property, both internally and externally.
Common problem areas are cracks in the driveway or walking paths around your home. Some of these cracks can be deep and cause someone to trip and injure themselves. Additionally, once a crack forms it will only widen over time, so it’s best to get them fixed right away.
Another area that many homeowners often overlook is right above your head–trees.
Older trees may have heavy branches that have become weakened over time. And these branches that can weigh several hundred pounds can snap and fall at any moment. So be sure to have your trees properly trimmed, because this is an accident that you’ll definitely want to avoid.
Homeownership may be a dream for some, but avoiding a lawsuit is definitely in everyone’s best interest. So as long as you’re proactive in your mitigation and resolution of problem areas, you’ll be able to rest easy anytime that you invite over the company.
