Can you sue a city for pain and suffering if you waited until after the fall date to report the injury?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can you sue a city for pain and suffering if you waited until after the fall date to report the injury?
About 2 months ago, I was taking my grandson to see a movie. There was a raised piece of metal over the sidewalk, I guess for repairs. There was no other way to get to the theater from that area so I walked towards the metal like everyone else. Even though there was a hazard sign up, they left no other way to walk through. As I was walking I tripped and flew across the cement. Dazed and stunned initially, I could not get up because I hit my head. The security guard and a young man helped me up to sit by a small wall nearby. The man asked me if I wanted an ambulance but I said no because I didn’t know what would happen with my grandson. We have no family here except my son who was out of the state at the time. I could not drive, so I told my grandson to let’s just go into the cool in the theater. After sitting through the movie, I felt that I could get in the car and drive home. I went to bed. I have been in a lot of pain since that day. I have great difficulty lifting my left arm, so I went to my doctor who ordered X-rays and an MRI. Looking back, they should not have had that way open as a walkway. I’m sure someone else has probably gotten hurt. I didn’t know what to do that day and now almost 2 months later I am still hurting. Can I sue the city for being inconsiderate and not closing off the area entirely or do I just have to grin and bear it?
Asked on August 10, 2019 under Personal Injury, Arizona
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
In order to sue for a personal injury there must have been an actual injury suffered that was due to the negligence of another. Here, you have an injury but it as not due to another's negligence. However, there was a sign posted; you attest to that. While it would have arguably been better to have several signs, it was still "reasonable" to have just the single notification. Acordingly, you have no claim here.
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
No, there is no claim for pain and suffering--or for medical bills, or compensation of any sort--in the situation you describe. To get compensation, you have to show "negligence" or unreasonable carelessness. A claim of negligence is defeated by the defendant showing it took "reasonable"--not perfect or infallible, just reasonable--steps to prevent injury. You write that "there was a hazard sign up"; putting a sign up to warn people of the hazard is a reasonable response, and so they were not negligent.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.