While out walking, you should always be aware of your surroundings and cautious of where you walk. This is because some walks can, unfortunately, end in injury. While this may occasionally be solely due to clumsiness, other times it is as a result of unmaintained property conditions. Accidents may happen if a property is not taken care of by the party that is obligated to look after it. This may result in injuries such as concussions, broken bones, brain injuries, and more. While seeking medical attention is the most important thing after an accident, finding legal representation is also important.
Examples of Accidents
Many accidents occur in places like sidewalks, streets, parking lots, etc. A pedestrian may become injured from a slip and fall accident for several reasons. Possible factors may include:
- Sidewalk damages
- Weather conditions (snow, ice, standing water)
- Potholes, uneven pavement, cracked surfaces
- Loose debris
- Hazardous materials
- Slippery substances
If an individual is injured as a result of one of these factors, they may have a legal case against the property owner. The state of Pennsylvania requires property owners to keep any walking areas hazardous free. Like many other states, Pennsylvania municipalities have certain laws that order property owners when to clean up poor weather conditions. Other hazards typically have similar windows of time. A successful case may not exist if an individual is injured during that period of time, as it was a risk to walk during that time. If an injury occurs after that window of time, the property owner could be held liable for the injury.
Who is Liable?
Because proving that someone else to be responsible for your injury may be challenging, it is important to have a skilled attorney. This may be a private citizen, public store, a private company, or even a municipal property. The Political Subdivision Torts Claims Act may hold a municipality reliable to a personal injury in certain cases.
Gathering Evidence
In a successful case, the injured party must prove that the owner of the property they were injured on was negligent and did not care for their property. In order to do this, the injured and their attorney must work together to provide any evidence that shows the property owner knew, or should have known about, the poor conditions of their property and did nothing to fix it. Such evidence may include medical documentation of your injury, pictures of the property, and any witness to the accident.
Recovering Compensation
If an individual wins their case, they may be eligible for financial compensation. This may include:
- Lost wages
- Loss of future wages
- Medical bills as a result of the injury
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
Contact our Firm
If you or a loved one has been in a personal injury accident in Pennsylvania, it’s important that you contact an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney to help you with your case. Contact Spear Greenfield to get the right attorney in your corner.
Call or text (215) 985-2424 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
