You were walking outside when it happened. You slid and fell, striking your head on the pavement. When you looked back to see what caused you to fall, you noticed a slick area on the sidewalk that was possibly caused by the neighbor’s sprinkler system.
The sidewalk itself is public property, but the cause of your fall, you believe, is directly related to your neighbor’s sprinklers. Now, you’re not sure what you should do. Should you reach out to the city? Do you ask the neighbor to compensate you?
Get to know your liability laws
It’s important to get to know your liability laws before you make a decision on who to contact. Your legal status is not in question since you were legally walking somewhere you were allowed to do so. The sidewalk itself may have been slick or damaged, which is something the city or local government may need to know about. If it was the neighbor’s sprinklers that caused the slick area, then they could be to blame if they caused the dangerous conditions and knew that they were dangerous to others.
What should you do after you get hurt?
In your case, there are a few different entities that could be liable for your injuries. The first thing to do is to get medical care and to get the documents that show which type of care you’ll need. Next, you can reach out to your attorney to learn more about your options and if you have a case against the neighbor or local government for the injuries you suffered.