Sidewalk Fall Attorneys in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania premises liability law provides that property owners have a duty to keep their sidewalks in a reasonable and safe condition for travel. Property owners must maintain their sidewalks in Pennsylvania so that they do not present an unreasonable risk of harm to pedestrians. Pennsylvania courts have held that elevations, depressions, or irregularities in sidewalks that are not trivial and can cause injuries to a pedestrian can result in holding the property owner liable for negligence and resulting financial and emotional damages if a victim is injured. Although there is no definitive or mathematical rule that defines the depth or size of a sidewalk defect or depression necessary to hold a property owner responsible, each case must be judged on a case by case basis to be determined by a jury.
Obviously there are hundreds of potential situations that can lead to a slip and fall accident in Philadelphia, including failure to properly light the area, uneven surfaces, debris, broken or uneven sidewalks, snow or ice, grass or weed growth, building code violations, or irregular and uneven pavement or holes and cracks. Many times when there is inclement weather such as snow and ice, the property or business owner has an added responsibility to properly and safely remove snow and ice from the premises or paved area. A property owner has an obligation to keep sidewalks or pathways abutting their property safe, as well as prevent snow, ice, and icicles to accumulate on buildings abutting sidewalks. In icy conditions, the property owner should apply salt or similar cinder type materials to increase traction to avoid injuries to innocent passersby.
Snow, sleet, or rain are the most common causes of slip and fall accidents during the winter. Different rules of responsibly apply to homeowners, renters, tenants, landlords, and property managers as to who is responsible for shoveling, maintaining, and salting sidewalks and what happens if someone is injured while walking on their property. Many times, slip and falls are the result of hazardous building design or dangerous downspout and gutter design where ice or rain drains out of gutters and then freezes when the temperature drops. Premises liability and slip and fall cases on sidewalks often involve municipal code violations.
The Pennsylvania sidewalk slip and fall accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily have been successfully litigating sidewalk slip and fall liability cases since 1979 and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of clients who have been injured or wrongfully killed due to the negligence of others. If you have slipped and fallen on someone’s sidewalk or premises, you may be entitled to compensation for the financial and emotional suffering that has occurred as the result of someone’s negligence. Our Philadelphia premises liability attorneys have over 30 years of experience and always offer slip and fall and premises liability victims a free, no obligation consultation. Before you give a statement to anyone or speak to an insurance company, it pays to speak to an experienced Pennsylvania sidewalk defect and slip and fall lawyer free of charge. Contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.
