Who Is To Be Blamed In A Slip And Fall On The Sidewalk?

You are casually walking home throughout the heavy winter when you suddenly slip and fall. This results in a broken arm alongside a few other bruises and injuries. The shock of the whole thing is tremendous, the pain is horrible and you are stuck there freezing, waiting for the medical help to come. This is quite overwhelming and it is only logical and natural that you are capable of receiving the compensation that you are legally entitled to.

However, the sidewalk is public and there are no stores around it. Who is at fault? Who is responsible for this and how can you file a lawsuit when you are not even sure who is to blame?

Rest assured that the law has thought of situations of the kind. Public sidewalks in Ontario, which aren’t directly in front of a store, are responsibility of the municipality. Therefore, the latter is responsible for their condition and it should maintain them in a manner to promote their proper and usable condition. With this in mind, should you slip and fall because the sidewalk was frozen, for instance, you are entitled to file your compensatory claim against the municipality.

Things to consider

Of course, as you might already expect, the truth is that filing against the municipality is not exactly the same as it is when it comes to filing a lawsuit against a regular person. There are quite a few specifications that you would have to account for when it comes to it and it is important that you take them seriously. Right off the bat, everything starts differently with the letter of intent. You are given 7 days to notify the municipality that you are going to be filing a lawsuit. After that, the municipality has 60 days to conduct its internal investigation and to prepare for the case as opposed to the normal 30 days given to regular defendants. This is an important consideration that only injury lawyers know about.

Of course, it’s important to note that it’s not burdensome to lead a case against the municipality because at least you will rest assured that the money won’t be an issue. However, municipalities have strong legal teams who are perfectly capable of handling a situation of the kind as per the highest standards and you should truly expect a fight. This is definitely something that you need to be well aware of.

This is also why you need to make sure that you get all the help you need. Hiring a professional personal injury lawyer is going to help you out quite a lot so make sure to take it seriously. Find someone with relevant expertise and a lot of experience. They will understand the nuances of your accident and know how to deal with it effectively. Don’t delay hiring a lawyer after the accident.