Fall accidents are one of the most common accidents in Philadelphia, PA. Slip, trip and fall accidents often result in injuries, and for some, catastrophic and permanent injuries. As fall accident and injury lawyers in Philadelphia, we have helped individuals injured in all types of fall accidents.
Common Types of PA Fall Accidents
Sidewalk Trip and Fall Accidents
A common fall accident is a sidewalk trip and fall accident. A pedestrian may fall due to a dangerous condition on the sidewalk, such as a broken sidewalk or an uneven sidewalk. Consider the following example. A pedestrian is walking on a brick sidewalk in Old City Philadelphia. One of the bricks is loose and broken causing the pedestrian to lose her balance when she steps on it. As a result, she trips, falls and fractures her wrist.
Staircase/Stairway Fall Accidents
Another type of fall accident is a staircase fall accident. Steps on a stairway may be broken causing a person to fall down the stairs, or a handrail of a staircase may not be properly installed causing a person to lose their balance and fall when they grab it. Stairway fall accidents often result in serious injuries such as concussions and serious injuries to the back and neck.
Fall Accidents Due to Snow and Ice
In the winter, the most common fall accident is a slip and fall accident due to snow or ice. A sidewalk in front of a home may be covered in ice for several days because the homeowner did not treat the sidewalk with salt. As a result, a delivery man slips and falls on the icy sidewalk.
Who is Responsible for Slip, Trip and Fall Accidents in Pennsylvania?
In all of the above slip, trip and fall accidents, who is the liable party? In general, property owners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalk on their property. For example, a homeowner is responsible for the sidewalk in front of the home. If a pedestrian falls on the sidewalk in front of the home, the homeowner will be the responsible party if the pedestrian wins his fall accident case.
Sometimes, property owners may hire contractors to maintain the sidewalk, and in that case, the contractors may be the parties responsible for a pedestrian sidewalk accident. For instance, a pedestrian falls in front of a store on an icy sidewalk. The store hires a snow removal company to clear the sidewalk, but the snow removal company fails to do so. In such a case, the contractor would be a responsible party.
Continue to part II of this article series which discusses how to win a Philadelphia slip, trip and fall case.
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Disclaimer: This website does not create any attorney-client relationship or provide legal advice. Our lawyers provide legal advice only after accepting a case. It is imperative that any action taken is done on advice of counsel. Since each case is unique, discussion of prior outcomes and settlements in past cases is no guarantee of a similar outcome in current or future cases.