Court Upholds Ruling Against Real Estate Firm for Client's Fall

The Iquique Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling against RVC Inmobiliaria SpA, confirming the company's liability for severe injuries sustained by a client. The incident occurred when the woman slipped and fell in a wet hallway while touring apartments for sale. The court ordered the real estate company to pay 5,735,438 pesos in compensation for emergent damages and moral damages. This decision unanimously affirmed the initial ruling by the Third Local Police Court of Iquique. However, the appellate court prudently reduced the administrative fine payable to the state from 300 to 20 UTM, approximately 1.4 million pesos. The original judgment established that the fall was directly attributable to the company's negligence. Specifically, the hallway floor was wet, and adequate safety measures were not in place. The court concluded that the company failed to meet its legal obligations to ensure safety during the sale of property or provision of services, thus warranting punishment for its oversight.