Chapel Hill, NC — Ten people and three animals were injured when a contractor used paint remover on a stairwell at an apartment complex in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Wednesday, July 8, 2015.
The accident took place at the Pinegate Apartments, located on Pinegate Circle. Emergency workers were called to the complex around 7:30 in the morning. The residents and the animals who were injured suffered chemical burns when their skin came into contact with the affected areas.
One resident’s dog’s snout bumped one of the stairs, and then licked her nose. Her vet told her owned that she had an ulcer on her tongue and an ulcer in her lungs.
Hazmat crews had to block off several buildings, with many residents eventually being forced out of the complex.
Residents are angry because the property managers didn’t warn them of any danger. The accident is currently being investigated. In the meantime, the property managers have agreed to find temporary housing for residents and to arrange a cleaning of the affected areas.
Scene of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary
To get right to the point, the fact that the property owners failed to warn residents of a potential danger was a huge oversight on their part. When we’re discussing premises liability law, people split up into three categories: Invitees, licensees, and trespassers. An invitee’s presence on a piece of property is of direct benefit to the property owner, so this is the category into which an apartment resident would fall. Property owners owe invitees the highest duty of care when it comes to their personal safety, as it relates to the property. That means that property owners have a duty to seek out potential dangers and eliminate the hazard. If the news has correctly reported what’s happened here, the property owners fell flat on their faces when it came to doing this. The law says that they can be held liable for any injuries sustained because of that.
— Grossman Law Offices
