Sidewalk Injuries: Who to Hold Liable?

National Floor Safety Institute factsheet shows that slips and falls account for more than 1 million hospital emergency room visits per annum in the United States. When a person sustains an injury while walking on a sidewalk, it can be extremely difficult to know which party can be held liable. Depending upon the circumstances pertaining to the accident and the terms dictated on the lease agreement – a shop owner, parent company of the franchise, or the city can be held responsible for damages caused by the slip and fall accident.

For instance, there are areas which are not owned by any individual or entity. Thus, the ownership may fall upon the municipality or city i.e. the town may actually own the land where the accident takes place. Thus, if the municipality does not perform regular repair works or resolve issues on sidewalks, a person who becomes injured due to their carelessness can file a lawsuit against the city.

How to Establish Liability

For any personal injury case caused by a slip and fall accident to proceed, the aspect of negligence must be involved as without proving that fact that the defendant was negligent in some way, one cannot establish a liability. Once negligence within a claim is identified, the next course of action is the identification of the liable party. Establishing liability and identification of the party who should be held accountable for your injuries can be quite challenging to determine, especially for sidewalk accidents. Therefore, acquiring services of a reputable slip and fall accident lawyer can be highly beneficial for your case.

How an Attorney Can Help You To Prove Negligence

Your attorney will help you to prove 4 elements related to negligence. Firstly, they will establish the defendant’s duty of care towards you. Secondly, they will prove that the negligent party breached their duty of care which specifically caused you an injury. Thirdly, your slip and fall accident lawyer will prove a direct connection of the liable party to the injury through the breach of duty. Finally, they will substantiate your claim by calculating the amount of compensation that you are rightfully entitled to obtain for your loss and sufferings.

If you have become a victim of a slip and fall accident on a sidewalk and want to initiate a legal action against the negligent party, it can be highly advantageous for your case to seek legal counsel. Using their vast experience and knowledge of laws and regulations applicable to your case, an experienced slip and fall accident lawyer will protect your rights and help you seek maximum compensation for your loss and sufferings.

If you or your loved ones have suffered from a slip and fall accident and wish to know more about this subject or schedule a consultation, then contact I Am Calling My Lawyer at 888-841-4878 to talk to an experienced slip and fall accident lawyer.