In Massachusetts, it is the responsibility of each city to maintain their sidewalks. If you get hurt as a result of a defect in a sidewalk, you may be entitled to compensation from the city. In order to substantiate your claim, it is important to take photos of the broken area of the sidewalk and to obtain a report from your doctor outlining your injuries.
A man has filed a premises liability lawsuit against a city after sustaining severe injuries on a defective piece of sidewalk. He said that as he was getting out of his car, he stepped on the curb. As he did so, the sidewalk collapsed and caused him to fall. The man said that the sidewalk was cracked and the city should have repaired it.
The city responded to the lawsuit by saying that the man’s injuries were his own fault for not keeping a proper lookout for the unsafe conditions in the sidewalk. The city also said that the upkeep of the sidewalk was the responsibility of the owner of the premises where it is located.
The man recently added the property owners as defendants in the lawsuit, claiming they failed to provide a safe way to walk on the sidewalk and did not warn of the unsafe conditions.
This man has a right to believe that the city’s sidewalks are safe places for him to walk and should not have to worry about being injured on them. Hopefully, his lawsuit will enable him to be properly compensated for his injuries.
Source: The Madison-St. Clair Record, “City of Belleville denies liability in man’s suit over allegedly dangerous sidewalks,” Heather Isringhausen Gvillo, Dec. 4, 2013