While most New Jersey residents might associate spinal cord injuries with car accidents and athletic events, that part of the human body is particularly vulnerable and can be severely damaged in other types of accidents as well.
In fact, one woman who suffered a spinal cord injury in connection with a falling staircase has now filed a lawsuit against the motel where the incident occurred.
The accident happened relatively recently, on April 23. The woman was apparently standing on a stairway that connected the second floor to the third floor when the stairs suddenly gave way. She and another woman fell with the staircase and were taken to nearby hospitals following the incident. One of the women was later transferred to another hospital for treatment.
In her suit, the woman claims that because of her spinal cord injury and also due to a separate injury to her legs, she will likely need long-term medical care. She also seeks damages for her lost income and for her emotional pain and suffering.
This case illustrates that sometimes a dangerous condition on another person or company’s property can cause a serious spinal cord injury or other type of ailment. In New Jersey, landowners have an obligation to ensure that their property is safe for others. While the scope and extent of this legal obligation can vary depending on the circumstances, it is particularly important for businesses, such as hotels, to protect their guests from dangerous property conditions. After all, guests are paying good money in order to stay at a motel or hotel, and they should be able to expect that they will be safe and secure when doing so.
Fortunately, New Jersey residents who have been injured because of a landowner’s negligence in maintaining his or her property may be entitled to receive compensation for their injuries. An experienced attorney can help demonstrate the key elements of negligence, as well as the relation between the negligence and the resulting injury.
Source: The Richmond Register, “Woman sues Super 7 over staircase collapse,” Sarah Hogsed, May 20, 2013
