All You Need To Know About Sidewalk Accidents
Accidents can and do happen in all aspects of our lives and if you have been the victim of one which has left you injured, you may be able to claim compensation. An injury sustained at work, when driving or when in a grocery store which was not your fault, means that there is someone who is liable. Today in particular we are going to talk about sidewalk accidents, and when you may need to consult a sidewalk accident lawyer. Let’s take a look.
What Causes a Sidewalk Accident?
More often than not the cause of an accident on the sidewalk is a lack of maintenance which results in a surface that is dangerous. There are a multitude of factors here, and these are just some of the reasons for a slip or fall on the sidewalk:
- Presence of snow or ice
- Cracked or loose sidewalk
- Missing pieces
- Sidewalk which tilts
- Improper sloping
- Improper drainage
- A hole
These are just some of the issues which can easily result in an accident on the sidewalk.
How Common Are Sidewalk Issues?
New York is a great city in which to showcase the level of sidewalk issues which can exist. This city has over 13,000 miles of sidewalks and the New York Times estimates that around 700,000 new issues occur each year. Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that New York City pays out around $50 million each and every year to individuals who have been involved in an accident because of the sidewalk.
Who Is At Fault?
It is not always the city which is at fault when it comes to sidewalk accidents, and that is because the majority of the sidewalk is actually owned by landlords. The city is legally obliged to maintain all sidewalks that is in front of property, where the property houses 3 families or less. Any more than this and the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the landlord. If you do have an incident then it will be the role of your legal team to find out who is responsible for the sidewalk where your accident took place.
Using a Specific Sidewalk Lawyer
If you do have an accident on the sidewalk because of any of the issues mentioned above, it is important that you seek out a specialist lawyer to help you. Because of the complexity of some of these cases, it is always the best idea for you to get a personal injury lawyer which specializes in sidewalk law. Not only will this help you to get a better result from your claim, you will also find that the entire process is much quicker and smoother than if you use a general personal injury attorney.
A final point to mention is that should you have an accident, try to note down as much information as possible about where it happened, when and what injuries you sustained. If possible, getting contact details of any witnesses is also going be very helpful when it comes to building your case.
