Firm Videos

**Host:** “Welcome back to Western New York Living and The Big WECK Radio Local Business Spotlight segment.”

**Host:** “Now, like most homeowners, I have a few areas around my house that may need a little attention. Don’t worry, I’ll get to those. But keeping on top of those things sometimes seems endless, right? But it’s important you do so. And here to tell us why is John Richmond, one of the co-founders of Richmond Vona Law Firm. He’s seen how some small fixes that you ignore can turn into big problems. It can happen, right?”

**John Richmond:** “Absolutely. Thanks for having me. I think this has kind of been spurred on by the fact that Buffalo was just named the hottest housing market in the US by Zillow. And I just think it’s important for homeowners to know, hey, what do I have to keep safe? What are my responsibilities as it pertains to those people that may be coming on my property to see my house before I sell it? And just in general, you know, what are my responsibilities to make sure we’re keeping people safe and that people understand what they could be responsible for?”

**Host:** “Certainly, because showings will be happening, and again, with not a lot of inventory on the market, you might get a lot of people coming through there. Trip hazards certainly come to mind: sidewalks, steps, the exterior. That’s probably a big thing.”

**John Richmond:** “Exactly. I think that’s the number one thing you look at. So you want to be on the lookout for raised sidewalks, cracked sidewalks, or any sort of walkways. Most people don’t realize that the sidewalk abutting your property or right in front of your property is actually your responsibility. So if somebody gets hurt there, they could be coming after you and your homeowner’s insurance. But some other things that we look at as well could be railings going inside and out of your house, especially if you have steps. If your house doesn’t have one, you definitely want to make sure you have at least one railing on the steps going in and out of your house, especially if you have maybe three steps or more.”

**Host:** “Just saying that, I’m thinking inside the house too—stairwells. Just give them a go through and tighten them up a little bit, right?”

**John Richmond:** “Exactly. A lot of older homes may not have that railing going into the basement, and that’s a place where people tend to go look to make sure that you have a dry basement. So you just want to make sure that any place you expect somebody may be coming to see your house is safe and that you followed the local municipal guidelines and state guidelines.”

**Host:** “When you say municipal guidelines, I’m thinking building codes. It’s up to the homeowner to follow those, right?”

**John Richmond:** “Exactly, and it’s actually up to the homeowner to know what they are and then ultimately to follow them. It’s understandable that a lot of people get excited about having their home and may not look into these things, but you can find these online by searching by your county, town, or city. Just make sure your things are up to code.”

**Host:** “Let’s talk about what happens if you’re on someone’s property and things aren’t up to code, or one of these things happens, and they get injured. What should they do?”

**John Richmond:** “Well, first off, obviously be careful. The homeowner or property owner, in general, has a duty to keep it safe and to fix things that are unsafe or to warn you if they know something is unsafe and they haven’t had a chance to fix it. But unfortunately, if you are injured on somebody’s property, the first thing you want to do is get medical attention and alert the property owner so they know what happened. Then, once the dust has settled and you have the right medical attention, you want to call an injury attorney who specializes in this area of the law. They can work to get you compensation from the insurance company, get your medical bills paid, and ensure that you are compensated for everything you’re going through or have been through.”

**Host:** “Certainly, you have the experience, and your team has the experience, having gone through similar cases. So they know what to look for, maybe what to get checked out, and what compensation is probably due.”

**John Richmond:** “Exactly. It’s like anything in life these days, right? We’re in such an environment where you really want to hire a law firm like ours, if God forbid something like this happens to you, that specializes in this area of the law and really understands how to investigate these claims and work with the insurance company to make sure they’re not bullying you or pushing you around so you can get the most compensation that you ultimately deserve.”

**Host:** “Most importantly, be careful.”

**John Richmond:** “Yeah, exactly. Seriously, be careful.”

**Host:** “All right. John and the rest of the attorneys and staff at Richmond Vona Law Firm are focused on the interests of their clients and are prepared to do what’s necessary to get the full and fair compensation they deserve. To find out more about all of the legal services they provide, head to their website at richmondvona.com or give them a call at 716-555-6789.”

**Host:** “Now, don’t go anywhere because coming up next, we’ll be joined by Dr. Bob’s Dental Care and learn about the CEREC crowns they offer for patients. Western New York Living will continue.”

**Host:** “This segment of Western New York Living was sponsored by the following.”