For a property owner, it is not enough to simply have lighting fixtures installed on the property. But also, they have to ensure the right number of lighting fixtures and that they provide enough brightness. This is so that their visitors can safely navigate the designated walking areas. Otherwise, they may be wrongfully vulnerable to a slip, trip, and fall incident. With that in mind, please read on to discover how poor lighting can cause an accident and injury, and how a seasoned Morris County, New Jersey slip and fall lawyer at Macri Law Firm can help you recover afterward.
How can poor lighting cause a slip and fall accident?
Firstly, without sufficient lighting on a premise, a visitor may be incapable of reasonably identifying potentially hazardous conditions in their path. Secondly, even without a hazard in the vicinity, a visitor may be unable to see exactly where they are walking and placing their feet. This inevitably increases their chances of a misstep and a fall promptly following. Importantly, in this case, their clumsiness or personal judgment error cannot be blamed. But rather, this is the fault of the property owner who failed to install or maintain adequate lighting in the first place.
What are examples of poor lighting accidents?
If you believe you navigated through a poorly lit property and got hurt as a result, you may have a legitimate slip and fall accident claim on your hands. Below are examples of poor lighting accidents that reasonably call for legal action to be taken:
- You could not identify an uneven surface area or raised carpet in a hallway.
- You could not identify a warning sign or a wet puddle in a hallway.
- You could not identify a missing handrail or step in a stairwell.
- You could not identify a pothole or raised speed bumps in a parking lot.
- You could not identify cracked pavement or icy conditions on a sidewalk.
- You could not identify an electrical wire or an obstruction blocking an entranceway.
- You could not identify a perpetrator of a violent crime in an enclosed parking garage.
How do I connect poor lighting to my accident event?
Given any of these scenarios, you must establish the property owner’s negligence in the matter. This starts with arguing that they knew or should have reasonably known about the poor lighting on their premise. This may be established by testimonies from witnesses who have noticed the lighting issues in the previous days, weeks, or even months.
Then, you must claim that they failed to address the dimly lit area on time to prevent your slip and fall accident from happening. This may be backed up by taking photos of the accident area while you are still on the scene. And lastly, you must state that your cited bodily injuries (i.e., medical records), economic damages (i.e., lost wages), and non-economic damages (i.e., pain and suffering) directly correlate to the accident event.
To ensure your legal argument is well fleshed out, please seek the aid of a competent Parsippany, New Jersey personal injury lawyer. You may rest better knowing that the team at Macri Law Firm will not let you enter this legal battle without being properly prepared. So please pick up the phone and request our services today.