Ocean County Defective and Broken Stair Injury Lawyers
Experienced Premises Liability Attorneys Representing Clients Injured in Stairs Accidents in Red Bank, Howell, Asbury Park, Manalapan, and Holmdel, NJ
Every health article you read reminds you to get those steps in, and what better way than to use the stairs instead of the elevator? If you visit a museum, a courthouse, or a friend’s apartment, the steps that lead to the entrance can get your heart pumping. Climbing stairs is good for you- until it isn’t. Broken stairs, wiggly handrails, water or ice-covered stairs, or stairs without safety strips to keep you from falling are hazards you can encounter almost everywhere. Stairway to heaven? It’s more like the stairway to the hospital. Serious injuries such as broken bones or head injuries can put you in a world of hurt with the possibility of surgeries and months of physical therapy in your future.
At Chamlin, Uliano, and Walsh, our New Jersey stairway accident lawyers, have decades of experience representing victims who have been injured in premises liability cases in Hazlet, Neptune, Freehold, Middletown, Eatontown, and other Monmouth County, NJ areas. Dedicated to ensuring your claim receives full attention, our team seeks compensation for injuries caused by factors like faulty handrails or broken steps. Contact our skilled personal injury firm for a free consultation if you have been injured in a stairway injury incident by calling (732) 440-3950.
Recognizing Defective or Broken Staircase Hazards for Injury Prevention in NJ
Dangerous stairs begin with a broken, missing, or loose handrail. Without anything to support yourself, the odds of you falling are much more significant. Everyone loses their balance now and again, and without a handrail to keep you from falling, you may be seriously injured. Wooden steps, especially those exposed to the outdoors at parks or on someone’s deck, can be weathered by the elements, causing weak spots, cracks, and broken risers. Cement steps can become slick with rain, snow, or ice. Slippery stairs are an accident waiting to happen, and you could be the victim. Poorly designed stairs where the steps are too short and don’t provide enough space to place your foot solidly can cause an accident, as can spiral staircases, especially when damaged. Broken and unlevel steps are hazardous, and steps without anti-slip treads (or worn treads) can cause serious injuries. Carpeting on stairs prevents slipping, but it can be dangerous if the carpet is uneven or loose. Poor lighting in stairwells or on stairs outdoors is an accident waiting to happen. Using your phone’s flashlight while holding onto the handrail (if there is one) can be a daunting task.
Injuries Arising from Stair Accidents
Soft tissue injuries such as sprains, ruptured ligaments or tendons, head, neck, and back injuries, exposed fractures, leg, arm, and hand fractures, brain injuries, lacerations, and scrapes can be the result of a stair accident.
Legal Duty of Care in Defective Stairway Accidents
The property owner’s responsibility to keep their property free of hazards is known as the Duty of Care. Examples would include broken stairs, missing handrails, and spills or ice on the stairs that must be tended to by the landowner or their employees.
The level of the duty of care depends on why someone is on the property. The highest duty of care is for invitees. These are people the landowner has invited to enter their property. Their customers are their invitees for grocery stores, restaurants, and other commercial properties. The duty of care owed to invitees means that signs of potential hazards, such as a broken step, a slippery staircase, or icy conditions, must be displayed. The invitee must be warned of any safety conditions they may encounter.
The next category is a licensee, who can be on the property without the owner’s invitation. Delivery people, police, vendors, and mail carriers make up this category. The duty of care owed to this group of visitors is less than that of an invitee, but warnings about potential dangers that could cause an accident should be posted.
The last visitor category is trespassers, for whom no duty of care by the landowner is required. If the owner encounters a trespasser, they should give a warning about possible dangers if the visitor stays on the property.
Outlining a Solid Case to Seek Compensation for Your Damages After a Stair Accident in NJ
In order to seek damages in a stair accident case, you must prove that you sustained damages from that injury and that your injury was a direct result of the owner’s negligence. There are two categories of damages: economic and non-economic. Economic damages include lost wages, medical costs, future lost wages, and any other expenses relating to your care and recovery due to your accident. It also includes any property damaged in the fall, such as a tablet, cell phone, or computer. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, permanent disability, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Navigating the Aftermath of a Defective Stair Accident
Assess your injuries. If they allow you to move, you should call your insurance provider and seek immediate medical attention. Remember that if you are injured, you may not realize it until several hours later. Injuries to the neck, shoulder, knees, and ankles can sometimes go undetected immediately after the accident due to the amount of adrenaline coursing through your body. Getting checked out by a medical professional is always a good idea. Medical records prove your injuries and other factors, such as missed work or physical therapy.
Do not give any detailed statements regarding your accident. At the moment, when you are shaken up, you may give inaccurate information that could come back to haunt you when you and your attorney seek compensation for your damages. Visible proof is powerful; take as many pictures of the scene as possible. Witness information can be invaluable. Take the information of anyone who helped you or who saw you fall. Ask the manager or owner of the property to keep the CCTV recording that hopefully shows your accident. Lastly, contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Rely on Our Legal Team for Pursuing Compensation Following a Stairway Accident in Freehold, New Jersey
If you have an accident and fall on the stairs, the most dedicated, experienced, skilled legal advice you can get is with our firm, Chamlin, Uliano, & Walsh. Trying a personal injury case such as this requires attention to detail. We know the evidence you need and can build a successful case to give you the best possible outcome. We are seasoned premises liability attorneys who enjoy helping people who have suffered injuries through no fault of their own in Tinton Falls, Wall, Long Branch, Asbury Park, Belmar, Red Bank, and surrounding towns in New Jersey. You are entitled to receive compensation for your injuries if another party’s irresponsibility led to them. We focus on our client’s needs, guided by our passion for justice.
Call us today for your consultation at no cost to you. If you prefer, send us your questions on our contact form.