Do you notice that your street or sidewalk is dangerous? Most people think that the sidewalk in front of their home or business is their property. Most of the time that isn’t true. Just like the streets, sidewalks are usually “property” and “responsibility” of the city. Thats why there are not normally sidewalks in the country.
If you live in a gated community, you may find that your HOA actually “owns” and is responsible for the sidewalks. Every case is a little different. At the end of the day if your street or sidewalk is dangerous, it needs to be fixed so no one gets hurt. Recently we had a case where the city knew of an unsafe area and didn’t fix it. Until someone got hurt badly that is.
It is their problem
Cities are responsible to keep streets and sidewalks in a safe condition. You have a responsibility to use the streets and sidewalks as they were intended. If an unsafe condition exists where you get injured on a sidewalk or street, you might have a case for the city to cover your medical costs.
If you get injured due to an unsafe road or sidewalk, you should call an attorney. Normally when call the city after you are injured, they will likely say that you are responsible. Many times the city representative will quickly add that they had no idea of the defect that caused your injury. Your attorney may need to hire an investigator to prove that the city either knew or should have known about the unsafe condition.
The very reason that city governments exist is the safety of the citizens that live there. If they can’t even manage that, why are they there? Most cities do a good job keeping up with the maintenance of roads and sidewalks. Unfortunately that isn’t always the case and injuries result.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks