Going for a walk is a part of everyday life that should never result in an injury. While all pedestrians should be cautious of their surroundings, it is possible for an injury to occur at the fault of someone else. When property owners do not maintain their sidewalks to proper standards, people can become seriously hurt in an accident. Such accidents may result in serious injuries like broken bones, concussions, brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and more.
Examples of Sidewalk Accidents
There are several ways a pedestrian could fall and be injured while walking down a sidewalk. Possible factors may include:
- Weather conditions such as snow, ice, water, etc.
- Damaged surface of the sidewalk
- Slippery substances
- Loose debris
- Hazardous materials
It is important that injuries as a result of these factors are addressed within a reasonable period of time. If can be challenging to prove dangerous conditions were present at the time of your accident, but an experienced attorney can help your case. In Hartford County, property owners are given a certain window of time to clean up after poor weather conditions affect their property. This window of time may change depending on where you are within Connecticut. If an injury took place during this period of time, it is possible that the property owner will not be held responsible as it was a risk to walk in the area during the time.
Liability
If you have been injured by poor sidewalk conditions, it is important to know who is responsible for the property when seeking legal action against them. In the state of Connecticut, a private property owner may be held responsible for a sidewalk’s condition if a municipality formally assigns them liability. In this case, the property owner is responsible for your injury. If a municipality did not do so, they may be responsible for your injury.
Proving Negligence
While investigating the party responsible for your injury, it is important to provide what is known as the “burden of proof.” The burden of proof requires the injured party to present evidence of negligence in order to prove another party responsible for their injury. When a property owner is found negligent, it means that they knew about, or should have known about, the condition of their property and did nothing to fix it. Evidence for this in your case may consist of a few things: medical documentation of the injury, pictures of the damages, and witnesses to the incident.
Contact
If you have been injured in a sidewalk accident and wish to speak with an attorney about your best course of action, contact The Law Offices of Marc N. Needelman today.
Marc N. Needelman is an experienced attorney working throughout the state of Connecticut. Contact the law firm to set up a free initial consultation for matters, related to real estate, personal injury, criminal defense, estate planning, and more.
