Sidewalk Injuries

Have you been injured on a poorly maintained city sidewalk or roadway? If so, you may be entitled to compensation.

Often a slip-and-fall injury is the result of someone tripping on a city-owned sidewalk due to a defect. Individuals falling on sidewalks that are broken or cracked can sustain serious injuries, including broken bones, brain injuries, hip and back injuries. These kinds of accidents can even result in death.

Michigan law (MCL 691.1402a) establishes that the government could be liable for a sidewalk defect. The government body must have known of the existence of a defect in a sidewalk at least 30 days before the individual was injured. While the law states a sidewalk is presumed safe if a ''discontinuity defect'' is less than two inches, you may still have a claim even if this is the case.

Time is limited - Act Now

But in order to protect your rights, you should not delay taking action. The state law allows for a very limited amount of time to file your claim. An injured person has 120 days from the time the injury occurred to notify the government agency about the injury and the defect that caused it (MCL 691.1404). The notice must specify the exact location and nature of the defect, the injury sustained and the names of any witnesses to the accident.

The law as it relates to government liability for negligence on sidewalks is complex. You need the advice of experienced attorneys like the ones at the Law Offices of Goodman Acker.

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