This year we’ve seen quite a few manhole cover injuries this year. There was the manhole cover explosion in Times Square in April. Down in New Jersey, a woman made news this year by almost falling into a manhole during a storm.
If you see an open manhole, you can call 911 to report it. Manhole accidents can be that serious.
Many everyday manhole cover accidents aren’t quite so dramatic. It’s quite common for New Yorkers to trip on manhole covers when they happen to get loose, sunken, or misaligned. Tripping on a 300 pound manhole cover can easily lead to injuries. So can stepping into a sunken manhole when you expected level ground.
Types of Manhole Accidents
We’ve seen several types of manhole accidents.
- Motor vehicle accidents, including tires slipping into open manholes. At high accelerations, this has been known to flip cars, but the car does not have to flip in order to cause serious injuries.
- Trips, slips, and falls associated with improper manhole placement.
- Construction worker accidents.
You are entitled to compensation for your injuries in any of these accidents.
What should you do if you’re injured in a manhole accident?
Medical attention should be your first concern. Call for help.
If you are capable of doing so, it’s important to take pictures and to get the names and numbers of any witnesses on the scene. You should also take note of any video cameras you spot in the area.
Ideally, you’ll call attorneys like us as soon as you are medically capable of doing so! The faster you call us, the stronger your case is likely to be. In some cases, if you don’t move fast enough you’ll forfeit your ability to receive compensation altogether.
Who is responsible for manhole cover accidents?
Often the city is the responsible party, which can create problems for accident victims. Suing the city requires you to meet strict deadlines. For example, you must file a notice that you intend to make a claim within 30 days of the accident.
We’ve also seen instances where the repair crew or contractor was the proper party to hold responsible. This sometimes means going up against a large corporation with a lot of resources to fight you on your case. It’s important to secure an outstanding personal injury lawyer right away.
The other party is always going to try to blame you for the accident as much as is possible. The greater the percentage of fault they can assign to you, the less they have to pay.
They may say, for example, that you weren’t looking where you were going and thus they should not be held responsible. We will help you put together a case that can refute such claims.
Get Help Today
Our team is highly experienced with manhole cover cases and is ready to help you obtain maximum compensation for your injuries.
Contact us to schedule a free case review today.
See also:
Big Projects Can Come with Big Problems for Construction Workers
