Premises LiabilitySingle Step Fall

When a potential client comes to my office as a result of a fall, I believe it is my job to determine why the person fell. Most of us have walked thousands of miles without sustaining a serious injury from a fall or a stumble. Each and every one of us is highly evolved to safely walk. Most of us have also been spoiled by modern buildings and codes. These codes have eliminated so many dangerous conditions to the point that only trained experts understand why a single step is dangerous. Bowie, single step fall lawyer, George Patterson has litigated injury cases caused by a fall off of a single unmarked step. A single step is dangerous because most pedestrians have difficulty seeing a single step, particularly from a higher elevation. Engineers and architects try to avoid single steps where possible. Where single steps exist or cannot be avoided clear markings are required. An unmarked single step is a hazard that many property owners fail to recognize. The dangers of a single step are often not fully appreciated by their victims. Most victims of a single step fall are confused as to why they fell or failed to notice the single step. Single steps that are obvious and visible are safe. The most common single step is the curb in parking lots and along roads. These single steps are easily seen because they are marked by roadways and parking spaces. People expect curbs. A single step in the middle of a hallway or room will lead to repeated falls, stumbles and strips. Most such incidents fortunately will not lead to significant injuries. Others will suffer distal radius fractures (broken wrist), hip fractures, dental injuries and shattered knees.

Most local codes do not have provisions that ban single steps but they often adopt national model building codes. These codes regulate the permissible height, minimum and maximum, for single steps. Single step drop offs that are less than four inches are very difficult for pedestrians to detect. The model building codes also require that single steps be marked with paint, lighting, hand rails or contrasting materials. A single step fall lawyer will often need the assistance of an engineer to explain to the jury why single steps are hazardous. Single steps are often required in parking garages on platforms that lead to stairwells. The raised platform is designed to prevent gas fumes from fuel spills that sit lower than air from settling in stairwells. Lawyer, George Patterson, successfully obtained an award of $200,000 for a New Carrollton client that fell as she stepped off an unmarked parking garage platform that she did not see. Lawyer George Patterson also successfully resolved an injury case for a client that tripped on a small unmarked single step on a concrete walkway and patio. The single step fall lawyers at Patterson law are familiar with the applicable codes governing single steps and the reasons why pedestrians may not see a single step or may misjudge the height of the step.

Lawyer George Patterson has retained and cross examined experts in such cases because most people do not appreciate the dangers of single steps. Experts are useful in detailing the history of building codes and industry standards that have long recognized the dangers of single steps. Such experts also distinguish the single steps that pedestrians encounter safely on a daily basis from those unmarked single steps that are likely to cause injuries. For example, pedestrians are used to and expect single steps when leaving the curb to cross a roadway. There are numerous visual cues for these single steps that pedestrians can readily observe. Some single steps are easily detected but are still dangerous. Most building codes limit the maximum height of a commercial step to 7 inches and a residential step to 8 inches. Steps that exceed that height are dangerous because pedestrians are accustomed to steps of a certain height. Pedestrians when confronted with steps that are too tall may catch their foot on the step and fall forward. This danger is often found on platforms in parking garages that surround staircases. These platforms are required to prevent heavier gasses from fuel spills from entering stairwells. The single step prevents a serious fire hazard. Designers have installed level platforms in parking garages with inclines leading to higher floors. Such platforms confront pedestrians with a single step of varying heights depending on where the pedestrian approaches the platform. This danger may be avoided by locating the stairwells at the edge of the parking garages where the locations are level. If the level platform is located in a sloping garage the builder may place guard rails on the platform where the step height exceeds 7 inches. Single step lawyer George Patterson has recovered over a million dollars on behalf of people injured as a result of single steps.