The hotly contested case brings financial relief to Ginsburg & Associates client, providing her $301,600 due to the City of Philadelphia’s negligence in a case of city and municipal liability.
The recent award of $301,600 to a single woman injured while crossing a Philadelphia street illustrates the value of defending a city’s citizens against a city’s negligence. While we at Ginsburg & Associates are happy that the jury verdict has brought some measure of financial relief to our client, we are also concerned that too many incidents similar to our plaintiff’s accident go uncompensated.
Municipal Liability
City and municipal liability are complex civil law, usually pitting an individual against the deep resources of a local government. When a pedestrian is injured on a city sidewalk, crossing a city street, or walking in a city park, the city is liable. In the case Ginsburg & Associates fought on behalf of our client, a professional typist, her fall and subsequent wrist fracture was not, as the City of Philadelphia claimed, due to her own lack of attention. The City or one of its agencies had created a digging that disrupted the pedestrian flow, but had failed to safeguard pedestrians against the hazards. Our client, whose livelihood depends upon the free use of her hands and wrists to type, could not work or adequately care for her elderly mother while recovering from her injuries. Not only did she fracture her non-dominant wrist, she required surgery due to the fall.
When fighting a city and municipal liability case, the plaintiff’s attorneys face a formidable foe: a city can marshall substantial legal forces to defend against the city’s own actions. Citizens of a city, however, have a reasonable expectation that they can walk and move around public spaces safely. They expect a city to fulfill its duty to its residents by safeguarding sidewalks, crossings, streets and sites of construction.
Lost Opportunity
Unfortunately many victims of negligence from the failure of a municipality to follow due diligence do not exercise their rights under the law. Ginsburg & Associates has substantial experience with city and municipal liability, and can seek financial compensation for injury, hardship and income loss resulting from:
- Municipal liability
- Inadequate signage and safety barriers
- Failure to safeguard diggings, excavations, or open manholes
- Broken sidewalks
- Water or sewer main leaks
- Unsafe street crossings
- Involvement with on-duty or off-duty city or municipal employees
Our attorneys appreciate the scope and ramifications of your injury from city and municipal liability. We examine your case carefully, determine the extent of city and municipal liability, and work hard to bring you the relief you deserve. Contact Ginsburg & Associates today to learn how to best protect your rights.
