In Michigan, many premises injury disputes come down to one practical issue: whether the property owner or manager knew (or should have known) about the stair hazard and still failed to fix it.
In Eastpointe, common real-world scenarios include:
- Apartment and condo stairwells with delayed repairs to rails, lighting, or uneven step edges.
- Seasonal conditions—leaves, tracked-in debris, or wet footwear increasing slip-and-trip risk on entry stairs.
- Shared building access points where one party handles maintenance but another party controls day-to-day access.
- Older housing stock where wear-and-tear may be “visible but ignored,” especially on landings and handrail systems.
When the defense argues “we didn’t know,” your case needs a timeline—photos, incident reports, witness accounts, and maintenance history—to show the hazard was discoverable.


