In many Richmond neighborhoods—especially older housing stock and high-traffic apartment properties—stairways and shared entries can be affected by wear over time: loose handrails, uneven steps, worn treads, lighting that’s less than adequate for safe footing, and cluttered landings.
Insurance companies frequently respond with the same playbook:
- claiming the hazard was minor or obvious,
- arguing they had no reason to know about it,
- or suggesting the fall was caused by something unrelated (shoes, distraction, prior conditions).
Your ability to recover depends on showing that the property had a duty to keep stairs reasonably safe, that the unsafe condition existed long enough for the owner or operator to discover it, and that the condition contributed to your injury.


