If you don’t have a plan to maintain your sidewalks or to keep them clear of snow and ice, could this happen to YOU?
Municipality Agrees to $18.3 Million Settlement After Woman Slipped on Sidewalk
A municipality has agreed to a pre-trial settlement of $18.3 million after a resident tripped over a damaged section of sidewalk uplifted by a tree root. According to the lawsuit, the protruding sidewalk was obscured by overgrown plants, which compounded the hazard. As such, the contractor responsible for sidewalk landscaping agreed to contribute $200,000, bringing the total settlement to $18.5 million.
The city was accused of neglecting sidewalk maintenance, and the plaintiff’s attorney identified several additional hazardous sidewalks that could pose trip hazards, suggesting a longstanding maintenance problem. Moreover, the city had not provided municipal staff with instructions and training on how to report damaged sidewalks. The injured resident, a woman in her 60s with existing mobility issues, suffered neck and head trauma in the fall. These injuries required surgery and worsened the woman’s existing medical conditions. She remains partially paralyzed, according to the lawsuit.Making sure residents have a good way to report hazards is imperative to the good operations of a community.
