A hustling and bustling city like Philadelphia can be a great place to work and live for sure. With all the action in the city, crowds of people are quite common. You will see people walking, driving, bicycling, and running all throughout the city. This all sounds good and fun until you come to realize that the more people in a city, the greater the chance that victims will file claims against Philadelphia.
Slip and fall accidents are one of the most common reasons for suing the City of Philadelphia because of either defective sidewalks, streets, or public property conditions. To further assist the city, Philadelphia has governmental immunity, but the PA legislature has created an exception for damages resulting from dangerous conditions on city-owned real property. The real property exception may impose liability for the city’s actions regarding care. Let the slip and fall accident attorneys at Kwartler Manus review your case today.
Obstacles to Filing a Slip and Fall Accident Claim
Even if a slip and fall accident victim files a claim against the City of Philadelphia, they must overcome far greater legal obstacles than in making a claim against a private property owner. Other conditions that need to be met are:
- Notice of the dangerous condition: In order to recover damages, you have to establish that the dangerous condition created a reasonably foreseeable risk of injury. At the same time, the City of Philadelphia had to have actual or constructive notice of the conditions with ample time to protect against them.
- Notice of claim: Philadelphia has to be put on notice of a claim within 6 months from the date of the incident. Otherwise, you will be barred from filing a claim against the city
- Permanent injury required: victims who wish to win a claim against Philadelphia have to also spend in excess of $1,5000 on medical expenses and prove that there is permanent loss of bodily function, disfigurement, or dismemberment.
- Trespassing: Any victim who intentionally trespasses is barred from recovering damages or injuries sustained on property owned by the city.
Limits to the Amount of Compensation You Can Recover
In addition to these legalities, there is a limit on the amount of money victims can recover in an injury claim against the City of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania lawmakers have capped damage costs at $500,000 for personal injury and wrongful death claims.
You don’t want to wait around if you believe the City of Philadelphia is completely or partially responsible for your slip and fall accident. It is a good idea to consult with an experienced slip and fall accident attorney at Kwartler Manus, who will take action in defending you and your case. We handle slip and fall claims on a contingency fee basis. In translation, this means you do not owe any attorney fees unless a settlement is reached or a verdict is rendered.
Our attorneys are familiar with certain circumstances involving the City of Philadelphia and injuries caused by hazardous conditions on sidewalks and private property. You are in good hands with the experienced and compassionate attorneys of Kwartler Manus.
Call Kwartler Manus Today
At Kwartler Manus, we represent clients who wish to file claims against the City of Philadelphia for cracked or broken sidewalks, broken street paths, potholes, or slips and falls due to liquid on public property. If you believe you may have a case, contact us online or by phone at 267-457-5570 to schedule a free consultation today. We will review your case and provide you with an honest evaluation