Atlanta residents who live in apartment buildings or other rental homes are forced to hold a certain amount of trust in their landlords. Landlords are required, by Georgia state law, to keep their rental units maintained and safe from certain hazards. In some cases, property owners and managers simply fail to take reasonable precautions, and in others they even fail to respond to known dangers that are reported by tenants.
Questionable slip-and-fall injuries are on the rise
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, questionable slip-and-fall claims are on the rise. From 2010 to 2011, the number of potentially fraudulent claims increased by 12 percent, the NCIB reports. In 2010, slip-and-fall victims made 1,944 claims, and the number jumped to 2,168 the next year.
Woman sues Johnny Depp after being attacked by his security guards
Atlanta residents may be seeing a lot of Johnny Depp in the news lately. Not only is the media abuzz with his recently announced vampire role in a Tim Burton flick, but gossip columns are also flush with stories about troubles in his marriage. A much more serious news story about the movie star has also recently been reported--a disabled woman is suing Depp and his body guards for premises liability.
Amended vicious dog law intended to prevent attacks
The Responsible Dog Owner Act is a new piece of legislation intended to prevent injury and fatalities caused by viscous dog breeds. Every year there are 5 million people who suffer from dog bites. Of those bites, nearly 800,000 require medical attention and can cause permanent damage including loss of limb or scarring, and, in the worst cases, death.
