A woman who had just finished with an eye examination before tripping on a public sidewalk and injuring her shoulder has agreed to a $48,000 settlement with a city municipality.
In this issue, we’ll tell you what happened.
The victim had just been treated by an eye doctor when she tripped on a sidewalk in Santa Monica, California. Even though she had eye drops administered during her visit with the doctor, a vision test she had taken just before leaving indicated she could see fine.
The impact from her fall caused a dislocated shoulder, and required surgery to repair.
According to reports, the sidewalk had a defect, which resulted in a two-inch difference between two panels of concrete. It was on a list of 3,000 Santa Monica sidewalks to be repaired, but no repairs had been made at the time of the victim’s fall.
When the sidewalk was inspected in 2014, it was reported that the height differential was less than an inch.
The lawyer representing the victim said, “We suspect that the last inspection was not done properly.”
Incidents like the one above are far too common. In fact, at least a million people are treated in emergency rooms each year from such incidents. That’s in addition to the millions of other similar incidents that go unreported.
Common injuries from such incidents include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones and even death.
Regardless of how serious the incident, however, all victims have the right to be treated with respect and be compensated by the negligent party. In the case above, the negligent party was the City of Santa Monica.
In a previous issue, we shared advice for what to do if you’re involved in such an incident to increase the likelihood of you being properly compensated.
If you’ve been hurt because of someone else’s negligence, it’s crucial that you speak with an attorney specializing in personal injury law.
Get in touch with us here at Barber & Associates. The first consultation is always free.
Our number is 907-276-5858 or you can reach us via email.