Tough Economic Times Could Make City Sidewalks More Dangerous

Budget cuts combined with changing liability laws could make life for pedestrians more dangerous, according to Press Release Newswire.  Fall down accidents often result in very serious, debilitating injuries and end up costing accident victims far more in terms of pain and suffering than the amount of money awarded to them by the courts.  Noted Atlanta accident lawyers point out that severely sprained ankles, broken bones, torn ligaments, concussions, brain and other internal injuries, chronic pain and suffering, hospitalization, loss of work, even loss of life are just some of the serious consequences of slip, trip and fall accidents, a chronic and often trivialized problem that could get even worse if the Department of Transportation is forced to make cuts in the number of workers and repair crews assigned to fix defects in city sidewalks.

The most frequent types of slip, trip and fall accidents include broken wrists, and foot and ankle injuries known as Avulsion fractures, a medical term used to describe a debilitating injury where pieces of bone are ripped free by stronger ligaments that become stretched.  The elderly are particularly vulnerable to hip fractures, and often die as a result of their injuries.

Moreover, the law imposes a duty on landowners to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition.  It is always advisable to hire an Atlanta attorney who specializes in personal injury to notify the landowner promptly after the accident occurs to make sure that the landowner has put it's insurance company on notice.  Otherwise, the insurance company may deny coverage.

After tending to their injuries, our sources recommend that victims of a slip, trip and fall accidents hire an Atlanta lawyer to determine: who is responsible for the maintenance of the location of the accident; whether there are any filing deadlines; who owns the property; if pictures have been taken of the defect and, if not, have some taken; if the owner has insurance and who the carrier is; to place the carrier on notice of the accident to ensure insurance coverage; and, to determine any filing deadlines and prepare appropriate documents.

The article reminds us that the simple fact is slip, trip, and fall accidents are often challenging cases that require an experienced, skilled Atlanta injury lawyer to obtain modest compensation for injured individuals.