by Jennifer O'Connell | Jul 14, 2022 | Colorado, Pedestrian Accident, Personal Injury, Premises Liability, Slip and Fall
Queener Law had a major win for against a corporation that let snow and ice on a sidewalk get in the way of safety for a slip and fall client with permanent injuries! Our client worked and rental space at the building pictured here. She ran her own small business and depended on her business to pay her bills and support herself. Since buying the building, the corporation – which owned buildings all over Jefferson County, Colorado – did no upgrades to the building when it was purchased in the 1970s… or since.
The rain drainage downspouts were not only in disrepair, but they are no longer up to code. They pour water across the sidewalk, allowing it to freeze and cause a very dangerous condition for guests and renters. The downspouts and drains also froze over in the winter, causing them to burst and leak. Burst and leaking pipes pour water onto the sidewalk and create huge patches of black ice. In addition to failing to do any upkeep or maintenance on the downspouts and drains, the property owners also did nothing to take care of the lighting on the building. The lights on the south side of the building were out, making the sidewalk extremely dark at night, the same sidewalk with black ice.
Our client was walking to her car after a long day of work on an evening in February, came around the corner by the leaking, frozen downspout, and fell. Even laying on the icy sidewalk in the dark, she knew her wrist was badly fractured. Unlike my client who faithfully paid her bills and rent, the property owners who spent decades ignoring their building refused to pay their bill. They dragged our client through four years of litigation before a Jefferson County Jury finally held them accountable. While nothing will give our client her career back or the ability to use her wrist the same way again, having a jury award her a six-figure verdict showed her that the corporation was finally being held responsible for their decades of negligence waiting for a victim.
by Jennifer O'Connell | Dec 10, 2020 | Brain Injury, Colorado, Pedestrian Accident, Personal Injury, Premises Liability, Slip and Fall
Slip and Fall Injuries
If you slip and fall on black ice in Colorado and are injured, it is your own fault… Right? Slip and fall injuries are climbing in Colorado as mild winters fade into history and the population grows in our state. According to the Denver Post, in 2019, injuries due to slip and falls on black ice soared due to residents simply letting their guard down. But is that because the pedestrian is letting down their guard? To the contrary. Slip and fall injuries account for over one million hospital visits in the US annually according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Because of this Colorado not only has local ordinances about snow and ice safety, but our legislature saw fit to draft an entire Premises Liability Act to protect slip and fall victims.
Black Ice Law
City and county ordinances mandate that property owners, both commercial and residential, clear sidewalks and entryways of snow and ice quickly. But that is not where they duty to protect the community ends. In addition to those mandates, the Premises Liability Act requires that property owners consider measures like pre-treatment, continuous treatment, and post-storm treatment. The most common injuries sustained by our clients as a result of slip and fall incidents on ice are serious fractures, including to the wrists and spine. We have also represented multiple fall victims with traumatic brain injuries who sustained their trauma due to a fall on ice. Property owners must have a plan in place to take action to prevent, treat, and eradicate snow and ice dangers. And when that does not happen, and a person is injured as a result, the property owner must be held accountable for that injury.
Our Plan
Queener Law has been litigating against property owners for black ice slip and falls for decades. Our team has holding property owners accountable down to a science. That said, we also tailor all cases to your specific needs. Each of our slip and fall injury victims is assigned a partner, a paralegal, and a paralegal assistant who will work with them the entire way through the process. No assembly lines, no passing the file along. You and your team will be together from start to finish, every step of the way. We know your name, we know your case, and we know your specific needs. Our team will visit the site, hire the right team of experts for your specific circumstances, and build your case around you. The negligent property owner cannot be allowed to dictate the path ahead. We will keep you in the driver’s seat, with our team riding passenger.
