Long Island Parking Lot Accident Lawyer
Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP.
Property owners, managers and other responsible parties have a duty to keep their facilities reasonably safe for visitors, workers and staff. This includes parking lots.
Cases involving a fall due to poor lighting, potholes, uneven pavement and other hazardous conditions give rise to a potential injury lawsuit or insurance claim. Winter weather poses even more dangers, with ice and snow creating a serious slip hazard for anyone who walks on an untreated surface.
A victim of a parking lot fall may suffer serious injuries, including broken bones, severe soft-tissue injuries or catastrophic injuries, such as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or a spinal cord injury.
Owners and property managers are responsible for keeping their parking lots in a reasonably safe condition. If they fall short of this duty and someone gets hurt in a fall, the owner or manager of the property may be held liable for the resulting damages.
To find out more about your potential right to compensation, discuss your case with a qualified premises liability attorney at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP on Long Island. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Types of Hazards Leading to a Parking Lot Trip and Fall Accident
- Potholes – Pavement that has deteriorated to the point where there are potholes present poses a serious hazard for walkers. A property owner has the duty to take reasonable precautions to protect the safety of those who visit the area, and that includes repairing potholes that pose a risk of causing a trip and fall.
- Cracked or broken pavement – Uneven walking surfaces in parking lots that have cracked or broken pavement are extremely dangerous. Attention is often focused ahead, rather than at the feet, and an uneven protruding piece of pavement is the underlying cause of many serious falls.
- Loose or broken paving stones or bricks – Sidewalks and walkways that have loose or broken paving stones or bricks put pedestrians in danger. A property owner, the municipality, or manager of a property with a parking lot has a duty to protect those on the property from harm. Proper maintenance includes repairing loose or broken paving stones or bricks. Failure to maintain reasonably safe premises is a legal matter that must be addressed with professional legal help, particularly in cases of serious injuries.
- Uneven surfaces – Uneven surfaces in parking lots pose a serious risk. These uneven surfaces are the reason behind many serious trip-and-fall accidents. The property owner, manager or municipality (if the accident occurred in a government-owned parking lot) could be held accountable and required to pay compensation to the injured person.
- Unmarked curbs or parking chocks – There is a serious danger of a trip and fall when curbs or parking chocks are not properly marked in parking lots.
- Oily surfaces – A property owner has the duty to clean up oily walking surfaces in a parking lot before a serious slip-and-fall accident occurs. Oily pavement may not be immediately visible to a walking person, who innocently steps onto the area, only to land on his or her back, head or extremity, with tragic consequences.
- Untreated snow or ice – The owner or manager of a facility that includes a parking lot or other parking facility has a duty to remove or treat snow and ice from winter storms. A parking lot owner or manager may be held accountable in a claim if they failed to properly maintain the area for the safety of those who use the parking lot.
- Inadequate lighting – A dimly lit or unlit parking lot is a very dangerous situation, increasing the risk of assaults. Poor lighting also prevents walkers from seeing hazards, such as curbs, barriers, potholes, uneven pavement or other obstacles that could cause a trip and fall.
- Overgrown shrubs, grass and other plants – A commercial, private or government entity that provides parking is required to perform maintenance, and to take reasonable precautions to protect those on the property from the risk of a trip and fall. This includes trimming overgrown shrubs, grass or other plants that make walking unreasonably dangerous.
Contact the Experienced Long Island Premises Liability Attorneys
If you or someone you love has been injured in a fall in an unsafe parking lot, please consult with an experienced and qualified Long Island premises liability lawyer who is familiar with trip-and-fall claims.
At the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP we have been representing injured clients since 2003 and have over 100 years of collective experience in litigating Long Island Personal Injury Lawyer on the Long Island and nearby areas including Nassau County, Suffolk County and Queens.
Contact us today for a free evaluation of your case. We can come to you at home, at work, in the hospital or wherever is most convenient for you.
