Los Angeles Open Manhole Injury Attorney
The city of Los Angeles is a busy place with a population of nearly 4,000,000. It is the second largest city in the country, behind New York City. However, when you broaden your view to include the entire LA metro area, the headcount jumps to nearly 13 million. So, it is not shocking to think about crowded city streets and sidewalks. During high-traffic times, the pedestrian traffic moves across streets more like a swarm than hundreds and thousands of individuals going about their daily routines. As a part of this mass of humanity, you can almost be swept away within the throng of bodies without even the slightest view of the pavement beneath your feet. So imagine the shock and terror when one of these innocent pedestrians encounters a Los Angeles open manhole.
With the average manhole measuring about three feet in diameter, most people can easily fall through the opening and deep into the vault or tunnel below. Those who do not fall all the way into the cavern below are jarred to a halt and hang by their upper torso as the crowd of other pedestrians often step on or fall over them. These injury incidents cause significant harm to the victim and others who suffer injuries due to trip and fall incidents. But the damage suffered by all can be far more than physical. A sudden fall, as if the earth is opening up beneath you, is a fear that lurks in the minds of many after experiencing or witnessing this harrowing event.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries because of a Los Angeles open manhole, please know that the skilled legal team at DTLA Law Group is here to help you get the compensation and justice you deserve. Our dedicated office staff can be reached 24/7 to help you understand your rights and how to hold the appropriate party accountable for the negligence that caused you to suffer physical and emotional injuries that could plague you for the rest of your life. Our pros are ready to answer all your general questions and book a free consultation with a seasoned Los Angeles open manhole injury attorney at your earliest opportunity.
After you share all the details of your LA open manhole injury incident with your DTLA Law Group attorney, they will explain the legal merit of your case and if you have reason to pursue an injury lawsuit. They will also provide more information on the process of pursuing legal action, the time it could take to complete the case and potential expenses and compensation that could be secured to assist you with the cost of your losses and expenses caused by your injuries.
But please also know that you are never obligated to hire DTLA Law Group or file a lawsuit related to the open manhole injuries you suffered in Los Angeles. Our only goal is to ensure that all injury victims like yourself have the information and resources needed to make wise and well-informed choices about the actions you will take and how they will impact your life and future financial stability. Please reach out to our office today, as the time limit to take legal action could be shorter than you might expect.
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How Can A Manhole Be Left Open In Los Angeles?
In a busy city like LA, it seems odd to think that a large opening in the street or sidewalk could go unnoticed. However, it does happen in a startling number of cases. And the issues are not caused by traffic moving across the surface of these massive metal discs that provide safe passage to vehicles and foot traffic. Instead, these large covers must be pried or lifted from the tunnel opening using heavy-duty tools.
Typically, the manhole disc is removed to provide access to a worker who must enter the chamber or tunnel below the opening. Depending on the location, they could be shutting down a street or access to a busy sidewalk to gain access to the tunnel. Sadly, many workers get in a hurry to complete their tasks and reopen access to the street or sidewalk, forgetting to replace the manhole cover or replacing it incorrectly so that it can be moved away from the tunnel by tire traffic. The result of this oversight is often a traumatic injury incident for someone like yourself who is just going about their normal routine and never expects to fall into an open Los Angeles manhole and suffer injuries.
Common Los Angeles Open Manhole Injuries
A sudden fall into an open manhole can cause a wide array of injuries that are compounded when other pedestrians fall over the victim or step on them inadvertently. It is common to suffer multiple severe injuries in these incidents that can include:
- Fractured, broken, or shattered bones
- Destroyed connective tissue of the joints and complete joint dislocations
- Severe lacerations and puncture wounds
- Damage to internal organs and internal bleeding
- Partial or complete amputations
- Soft tissue and nerve damage and destruction
- Back, neck, and spinal cord damage
- Injuries to the delicate facial skin, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth
- Head injuries that can range from a severe concussion or skull fracture to a brain bleed or other traumatic brain injuries
As the victim of a Los Angeles open manhole injury incident, please focus solely on your health and getting the medical care needed to recover as quickly as possible from the harm you sustained. Once you are certain you are medically stable, please contact DTLA Law Group to discuss the case with a skilled Los Angeles open manhole injury attorney to discuss a lawsuit to secure the compensation owed to you for your expenses and losses caused by this upsetting and painful incident.
Who Is To Blame For Your LA Open Manhole Injuries?
The responsible party for your injuries might not be as easy to determine as you first expect. If the open manhole was in a city street or sidewalk, you could initially think that the City of Los Angeles is to blame. However, there are many businesses and entities who could have accessed that tunnel for legitimate reasons and been negligent in replacing the manhole cover properly. The list of potential parties liable for your injuries can include:
- The City of LA service and maintenance crews
- Utility workers in the area
- Businesses providing services to local businesses, such as telecom companies
- The company hired to maintain the tunnels or inspect them for safety
If the manhole was located on private property, the liability for your injuries could also fall on the owner of the property or any professionals they hired to service the equipment in the tunnel, the tunnel or vault maintenance company, or other trades who are installing new equipment in the space. But what is critical for you to understand is that this is not your responsibility to sort out. Instead, you need to be fully focused on healing and making a complete recovery while the dedicated and skilled professionals at DTLA Law Group handle this complex matter for you.
How Much Is A Los Angeles Open Manhole Injury Lawsuit Worth?
Injury victims must understand that all personal injury cases are carefully evaluated, and the compensation awarded to them is independently determined based on the losses and expenses they incurred. Working closely with your DTLA Law Group open manhole in LA injury attorney, you will compile all documentation to support the allowable expenses you incurred because of your injuries. The items typically used in this process are:
- All current and estimated future medical expenses related to the injuries suffered in the open manhole incident
- The replacement cost of any personal property that was damaged or destroyed in the injury incident
- Your legal costs for preparing, filing, and litigating your LA open manhole injury lawsuit
- Your lost income if the injuries you sustained prevented you from returning to work until you were fully healed
How Long Do I Have To File My Los Angeles Open Manhole Injury Lawsuit?
In most cases, the legal system provides injury victims two years from the date of the injury incident to file their claim with the court. However, when a case is filed against a government agency or entity such as the City of Los Angeles, that time limit is reduced to only six months from the day you were hurt. Please know that regardless of the time specified to file your lawsuit, these limits are strictly enforced, and there are very minimal exceptions that would provide you added time to file a lawsuit once the time limit has expired. Please contact DTLA Law Group today to discuss the time remaining to file your claim and ensure you do not miss this crucial opportunity.
How Can I Afford To Hire DTLA Law Group For My LA Open Manhole Injury Lawsuit?
When you work with the experts at DTLA Law Group, you are never asked to pay any upfront legal fees or expenses. Instead, our firm only gets paid after the case is resolved, and you have the compensation needed to cover your legal costs and other expenses. This ensures all injury victims have access to the exceptional legal services needed to secure the compensation they need and deserve. In addition, if your DTLA Law Group Los Angeles open manhole injury attorney fails to win your case and deliver that much-needed compensation, you owe us nothing for our time and financial investment in preparing your case.
Please make time at your earliest opportunity to contact DTLA Law Group to discuss the details of your injury incident and learn how our team will work tirelessly to get you the full and fair compensation you deserve for the harm caused by someone else’s negligence.
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