In the winter, the risk of
slip and fall accidents rises significantly. Icy sidewalks, slippery surfaces, and hazards hidden
by snow can cause people to slip and sustain severe injuries.
In most areas, it is the responsibility of the city to keep its residents
safe, such as by salting sidewalks. If you were harmed in a slip and fall
accident while walking around outside, you may be wondering if the city
you live in could be responsible for your injuries. It is possible that
a municipality or the people who work for them could be liable for your
slip and fall accident injuries.
Liability for Slip and Fall Accidents
To determine if your city is liable for your slip and fall accident injuries,
you will need to investigate their level of responsibility in maintaining
the sidewalks (our attorneys can help you with this). Although city management
can be responsible for sidewalk maintenance, there are some areas that
are maintained by private companies or individuals, and other areas where
nobody is responsible for maintenance. The city will own public areas,
but some places are privately owned.
To determine who is liable for maintaining the site of your slip and fall
accident, consider the following questions:
- Does the responsibility of maintenance fall on a specific department?
- Does the city employ the assistance of contractors or private businesses
for maintenance?
- Were you on the site of a business or on private property when you fell?
- Under what conditions is the owner of the property responsible for maintenance?
Establishing a Case for Negligence
As well as investigating who is responsible for sidewalk maintenance, you
will need to establish proof that the people who are responsible were
negligent and contributed to your injuries. To prove the negligence of
a city, you can show that their maintenance workers are understaffed or
unequipped. Or, it’s possible that someone failed to complete their
job responsibilities. There are several reasons your injuries could have
occurred — our lawyers can help you determine the cause of your
injuries and represent you.
The Gruenberg Kelly Della legal team protects the rights of people who
were injured in slip and fall accidents, or other
premises liability incidents. Reach out to us if you or a loved one were harmed because of
the negligence of a property owner.
To schedule a free consultation with our attorneys, complete our contact form
or call 888.305.6372.