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ChatSome days, right when you wake up, you just know a tough day lies ahead. Maybe you overslept, slept poorly, spilled your coffee, dealt with fussy children, or just have that feeling as soon as you arise. Don’t worry too much – it happens to all of us! But what doesn’t happen to all of us, however, is slipping, tripping, or falling because of someone else’s negligence. If you’ve ever found yourself the victim of an RI pothole injury, this is the case review for you!
Your Warwick, RI pothole injury isn’t the only injury we can help you see compensation on. Based in Cranston, RI, we support all RI and southeastern MA communities!
Today’s case review recounts a recent premises liability client’s trip and fall. Not only did this early morning fall cause our client to have a bad day, but it caused him months of continuous pain.
If you or a loved one have slipped, tripped, or fallen because of poorly managed property, call us to see what your case may be worth!
Warwick, RI Pothole Injury Leaves Client with Months-Long Rib Pain
One early morning, like any other, our client got in his car, drove to a designated employee parking lot, and started walking toward the time clock to start his workday. While the rain poured down, our client remained eager to get his job started.
However, our client’s plans were cut short. While walking, he suddenly tripped and fell, landing hard on his hand and chest.
Accidents happen. But in this case, while on the ground, our client immediately noticed the large pothole that caused him to trip and fall. Since it was raining, the pothole was filled with rainwater, making it nearly impossible to see. Unfortunately, our client remained on the ground until EMS arrived to transport him to the hospital.
Since our client was experiencing shoulder, chest, and rib weakness and pain, doctors ordered an EKG, X-rays, and CT scans. Doctors noted blood trauma to his chest wall… and our client felt it. For weeks after the accident, our client visited his primary care physician multiple times, reporting pain and complications after the slip and fall. He had trouble coughing and breathing without pain. As you can imagine, this severely negatively impacted our client’s ability to sleep and perform his daily work functions.
After over two weeks off work, expensive and timely doctor’s visits, and multiple physical therapy sessions, our client began to see the other side of his pain. However, a stark reminder of the accident, a lump in his left thumb, remained.
Do I Have a Case After a Pothole Causes My Injuries?
The answer depends on the specific facts in your case. There’s no doubt about it: We all hate potholes. They’re hard to see, tricky to navigate, and often cause personal and/or motor vehicle damage.
In this case, the private lot owner owed its visitors a duty of reasonable care. While property owners can’t always prevent dangerous or hazardous conditions, this duty of care requires them to identify, mitigate, and/or warn others about the conditions.
Our client walked on or near the pothole’s path daily for work. His job requires him to do so insofar as he needs to clock in and grab work equipment for the day. To protect our client and other workers from danger, the property owner should have inspected their high-traffic parking lot and either fixed the pothole or warned visitors about it (with a cone or sign!).
Pictured above is the pothole that caused our client’s trip and fall. However, it did not look like this at the accident scene. The property owner quickly filled the pothole after our client’s injuries. A remedied pothole after the fact won’t help the property owner avoid liability — call us to discuss how!
You may be entitled to compensation if you are in a similar situation. Other factors that may impact your case include who was at fault (property owner, private residence, or city/municipality), weather conditions, where and for how long the pothole was present, and your actions (were you wearing proper footwear, on your phone, etc.). Call us to discuss your case’s value!
A quick read-through of our recent client’s case won’t tell you how much your case is worth. Rather, we hope this case review helps you stay vigilant, aware of your rights, and hopeful that a client-centered RI personal injury firm like ours can help!
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 with 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!
