Q: I am having a dispute with my landlords over an accident that I had in the house i rent from them. I fell and broke my shoulder. I fell and broke my shoulder and the landlords deny any responsibility. I had the property inspected by the building inspector for the area that I live in and found out that the landlords do not have a certificate of occupancy for the house and he found a number of problems including the fact there was not a complete handrail for the staircase that I fell from. I have a broken shoulder and strained muscles, ligaments and tendons which has limited motion in my entire arm and has produced many problems in taking care of myself including but not limited to showering, dressing and other personal chores. It has also limited my doing my job at work and I have lost hours of paid work time. What can I do?

A: Just because you fall does not mean the landlord is liable. You have to prove that the landlord was negligent in maintaining his building and some this negligence resulted in your injuries. However, based on what you said, you may have a case. You will get nowhere fast trying to get money from the landlord or insurance company on your own. You have two years from the date of the incident to file. Hire a lawyer to review the case.