I fell and injured myself on a sidewalk – who is liable?
Determining liability for a defective condition on a public sidewalk will depend on your state’s laws, and there are generally specific rules you have to follow when a municipality is involved. In some states, the law states that the municipality will be liable for the upkeep of public sidewalks. In other states, it might be less clear.
When you are injured on a public sidewalk, there are two important limitations on an injured person’s right to sue a municipality in most states:
- Most states have strict notice and time deadlines for making a personal injury claim against a municipality.
- Most states have a limit on how much you can recover from the state or a municipality even if you win.
Your next steps
If you are injured in a slip-and-fall on a public sidewalk, take pictures of the accident scene, your clothes, bruises or injuries you may have sustained as soon as possible. It can be very difficult to win a sidewalk slip and fall case without pictures showing the sidewalk as it was at the moment of your injury. In sidewalk slip-and-fall cases, it is usually not enough to show that the sidewalk had a defective condition. You will have to prove that the city or the property owner knew or should have known about the condition. This is where having an experienced attorney can benefit you.
At Polito & Harrington, we offer personalized, and attentive service while handling your slip & fall injury case in CT & RI and in the tribal courts at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. Your slip and fall injury case will be handled directly by CT & RI slip and fall injury lawyers, Humbert Polito or James Harrington. You will always be able to talk with your Waterford – New London, CT injury lawyer when you need to. We will work hard to hold people and companies responsible for injuries caused by their carelessness. To schedule a free consultation at Polito & Harrington in Waterford, Connecticut to discuss slip and fall litigation, call 1.860.447.3300.
Sources
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/slip-fall-accidents-proving-fault-29845.html
https://injury.findlaw.com/torts-and-personal-injuries/proving-fault-in-slip-and-fall-accidents.html
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/sidewalk-slip-fall-who-liable.html
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/slip-fall-claims-premises-liability
https://injury.findlaw.com/torts-and-personal-injuries/slip-and-fall.html
https://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/personal-injury/prove-win-slip-fall-claim.html
https://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/personal-injury/stores-liability-slip-fall-accidents.html
