Victims can seek money for all related losses. This includes medical bills for immediate and long-term treatment, lost wages from missing work, and compensation for reduced future earning capacity. Payment for physical pain, emotional suffering, and permanent disability or disfigurement is also recoverable. Property damage covers vehicle repair or replacement. In extreme cases where the owner’s neglect was blatantly reckless, additional punitive damages may be awarded to punish the behavior and deter others.

Landlords must make “reasonable accommodations” to rules and policies to allow a disabled person equal use of their home. They must also permit, at the tenant’s expense, “reasonable modifications” to the physical unit. For example, a landlord must allow a guide dog in a “no pets” building (accommodation) and permit a tenant to install a grab bar in the shower (modification). Newer multi-family buildings must have accessible common areas and accessible features within the units themselves.

Fault is judged by what a reasonably careful property owner would have done under the same circumstances. Courts and juries look at the cost and feasibility of security measures versus the likelihood and severity of potential harm. Ignoring police warnings, a history of crimes, or industry security standards can show fault. The question is: did the owner turn a blind eye to an obvious danger? Simple, affordable steps like better lighting or working locks are almost always considered reasonable.

The most common sources are industrial facilities (chemical plants, refineries, factories), large commercial operations (warehouses with poor ventilation), and negligent property management (mold, asbestos, carbon monoxide). Cases often arise when these entities release harmful substances—like chemical vapors, particulate matter, or fumes—into the air that neighboring communities or workers breathe. This excludes general traffic pollution, focusing instead on specific, identifiable polluters whose emissions cause direct harm to people’s health or property in a localized area.