Sidewalk Slip and Fall Accidents in PA: What to Know

Slip and fall accidents happen. While going about your daily activities while walking along a Pennsylvania sidewalk, you slip and fall and sustain an injury. Whether it be snow or ice or a crack in the sidewalk or uneven pavement that triggers the slip and fall, you still manage to sustain serious injuries.?

Upon experiencing this type of injury, who carries liability for your injury? Who else might be liable besides yourself? We will provide answers to some of those questions in this article. Despite the importance of conducting your own research, it is always wise to consult with a Pennsylvania slip and fall attorney to ensure that you have thoroughly considered all relevant factors.

Property owners have a variety of duties with regard to the upkeep of their premises, as specified by Pennsylvania tort and negligence law. The extent of these duties varies significantly based on the nature of the property in question—private versus public, residential versus commercial.

Liability is generally absent in cases involving snow or ice accumulation, unless the accumulation was deemed unreasonable. In Pennsylvania, the courts have applied a "hills and ridges" standard to snow and ice fall accidents. As per this doctrine, the plaintiff is obligated to provide evidence that the accumulation of snow and ice leading to the formation of hills and ridges was sufficient to cause the accident.

An individual who has suffered injuries as a result of a trip, slip, or fall on another party's property may file a personal injury claim known as a slip and fall lawsuit. To be entitled to compensation, the claimant must establish that the property owner's carelessness or negligence caused the accident, not his or her own.

What Legal Options Do I Have Following a Slip-and-Fall Accident? Who is Responsible for the Accident?

In Pennsylvania, whether or not a public entity is liable for a slip-and-fall accident on a sidewalk is dependent on a number of factors, including any particular conditions that might have contributed to the injury. A public entity would typically be held liable for an accident if it was aware of the contributing hazard but failed to take steps to correct it. A claim against the owner of private property may be brought for injuries sustained on the property.

You may file a lawsuit against the municipality if you fell due to an unsafe and maintenance-required sidewalk. In order for you to win in a lawsuit against the municipality, you must provide evidence that the city, which in this instance is a municipality in Pennsylvania, negligently managed public property and caused the injury. It is possible to use the pavement's cracking, unevenness, or erosion as evidence, for instance.

Consult with an attorney specializing in slip-and-fall accidents if the municipality does not respond to a citizen's (your) request for information.

The burden of proof in a slip-and-fall case lies with the injured party. Although it is certain that the municipality or the owner of the private property will gather evidence to attempt to disprove the claim, it is still possible to receive compensation for damages, even if you share some responsibility for the injury. In accordance with Pennsylvania's modified comparative negligence statute, an individual who is deemed to be partially liable may be eligible for reduced compensation. Jurors and judges will determine the proportion of fault that you share.

A claimant may still pursue a damage award in a modified comparative negligence state, provided that he or she was not found to be more at fault than the other parties. Pennsylvania follows a 51% rule. This means that a plaintiff may recover damages in Pennsylvania if their fault is less than 51%. You can be no more than 50% at fault for causing an accident. However, it's crucial to note that under the pure contributory negligence standard, your share of responsibility for the accident will reduce the amount of damages awarded.

How is Fault Established in a PA Slip and Fall Accident?

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