Lost wages claim/ slip & fall

[msmaryanne]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?CA.

One of my tenants slipped & fell on my property. She was misusing a loft area used for storage to sleep in. The ladder went out from under her & she fell & injured her knee. In the court papers she filed, she is sueing me for lost wages yet she was unemployed and on SSI & Disability at the time. She has no earnings except SSI & Disability. Is this fraud? Aren't you supposed to report all additional income to Social Security. She also freely admitted to being at fault to numerous other tenants. Lastly, last week I met with her and we agreed on an amount to settle any claims, now or in the future. I wrote this agreement on the memo portion of the check, which we both signed. 2 days later I recieved papers from her atty. wanting 6,500,00 bucks. What to do?

 

[ellencee]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?CA.

One of my tenants slipped & fell on my property. She was misusing a loft area used for storage to sleep in. The ladder went out from under her & she fell & injured her knee. In the court papers she filed, she is sueing me for lost wages yet she was unemployed and on SSI & Disability at the time. She has no earnings except SSI & Disability. Is this fraud? Aren't you supposed to report all additional income to Social Security. She also freely admitted to being at fault to numerous other tenants. Lastly, last week I met with her and we agreed on an amount to settle any claims, now or in the future. I wrote this agreement on the memo portion of the check, which we both signed. 2 days later I recieved papers from her atty. wanting 6,500,00 bucks. What to do?

Surely if you rent out property, you have insurance. If you have insurance, you have legal representation at least in the way of a claims rep.

A ladder is a ladder is a ladder. As for her misusing the ladder: It doesn't matter if one climbs a ladder to access a loft for storage or one climbs to access a place to sleep. A ladder is a safety hazard.

Lost wages when the person does not work? Perhaps the wages are for future earnings for which the person has now lost the potential to earn.

I don't have any advice for you except to obtain legal representation at once. It may be possible to prove the renter has accepted a settlement in full and has no legal recourse to sue for more money. (I assume you paid her at the time of the agreement since you stated the agreement was written on the check.)

$6,500,000 is a chunk of change for lost wages; if you don't mind, I'd like to know what work she plans to do, or does, as I'd like to change my career field to hers.

Best wishes,
EC