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ChatWhen you walk into a place of business, professionally managed residence, or other establishment, your first thought isn’t usually about slipping, tripping, or falling on account of faulty equipment or poor conditions. Why? Because public and residential property owners have a duty of reasonable care to uphold toward its lawful visitors… No one would go anywhere if this weren’t the case! So, as you can imagine, our Massachusetts stairway accident came as a complete surprise to our recent trip and fall client.
At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, we care about our premises liability clients. One subset of premises liability law, often referred to as “slip and fall” cases, land our clients in pain at the hands of at-fault property owners. If you slip, trip, or otherwise fall because of someone else’s mistake, call us now to discuss how we can help!
In today’s case review, we review how we clenched a $1,000,000.00 settlement for our Massachusetts stairway accident client after her fall at a residential rental property. Read on to learn about slip and fall litigation and how we may be able to assist you with your case!
Residential Rental Property Fall Results in Client’s Tibia and Bimalleolar Ankle Fractures – Immediate Surgery Required
One day, our client was visiting her daughter who lived at a rental property located in Fall River, Massachusetts. While visiting, our client was graciously assisting her daughter around the house. Specifically, our client walked down to the complex’s basement to run a load of laundry.
Our client made it down the basement’s treacherous steps without incident. She then loaded the washer and headed back up the stairs. While at the top of the stairs, she – like most others would – reached out for the stairway handrail to stabilize herself. When she went to do this, the handrail came off its brackets and sent our client tumbling down to the ground floor!
Pictured above is the faulty handrail our client relied on to safety exit the basement level laundry room. It broke as soon as she went to use it!
After her fall, emergency services immediately rushed our client to the hospital. While many of our premises liability slip and fall clients often start with less invasive treatment for their injuries, our client’s best option was immediate surgery.
Two days after the fall, our client underwent surgery for her ankle fractures. One week later, she underwent surgery for her tibial fracture. This surgery required a total knee replacement, including removing her previously placed implants.
Our client’s journey before and after the two major surgeries was not easy. After the stairway fall, our client was in extreme pain and on bedrest for over a week. After surgery, our client underwent physical therapy treatment for months. She also needed pain medication and Lasix treatment to facilitate further healing. It wasn’t until three months after the accident that our client reported a slight improvement in her ability to walk. After months of treatment post-surgery, our client still reported significant pain and difficulty moving.
Do I Have a Massachusetts Stairway Accident Claim?
If you’ve been injured because of someone’s inability to properly care for their property, call a Massachusetts personal injury attorney right away. At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, we practice personal injury law in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. During a free and confidential consultation with us, we will review your accident details to help determine if you have a case.
If you are injured, seek immediate medical assistance. Our client did the right thing by contacting us shortly after sustaining injuries. Knowing where the accident occurred, what events led to the accident, and details about the faulty condition (including pictures) helps!
Premises liability law changes depending on the state the accident occurred in. So if you are from out-of-town, you need to contact a state-specific personal injury attorney to handle your out-of-state fall.
In this case, our client had a viable stairway accident claim because the residential property owners failed to keep the rental complex safe for its residents and lawful visitors. Not only should a handrail not loosen and break in one use, but the stairs themselves were not up to Massachusetts code.
According to MA state law, stairs cannot slope more than 2% in any direction. As experienced attorneys in premises liability cases, our case investigators could see right away that the steep stairway was unlawfully built. This ultimately led to our client sustaining very serious injuries.
Given our premises liability experience, we were able to build a strong case demonstrating that both the handrail and stairs were not up to standard. Paired with our client’s injuries, we were able to help our client take home $1,000,000.00 to cover her medical expenses and far more!
Every premises liability case is different, and results vary depending on a multitude of factors. It never hurts to give your local MA and RI personal injury attorney a call to see how they can help. We look forward to hearing from you!
It’s Good to Know Mike Bottaro – 24/7 Top-Rated Personal Injury Help
At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, we care for people. Attorney Mike Bottaro and his award-winning legal team handle all types of personal injury cases throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We can even help on cases in other states as well. We pride ourselves on our honesty, integrity, and results. Contact us 24/7 in any method you prefer for a fast, free, and confidential consultation about your case. Text or call us at 401-777-7777 or fill out our free and confidential online form. We are here to serve and help you!
