A fall on a staircase can happen in seconds, yet the resulting injuries may affect your mobility for months, or even longer. Stairwell accidents in Indianapolis may involve hazards that are especially dangerous because a person can fall down several steps rather than onto a level surface. If you were hurt on unsafe stairs, a committed slip and fall lawyer at McCready Law could review what happened and explain whether a claim may be available.
Stairs create a different risk from a fall that what typically happens on level flooring. Once an injured person loses balance on a step, there may be little opportunity to stop the fall before striking additional steps or a landing. The force and distance involved may contribute to fractures or serious head injuries. These injuries may require treatment and time away from normal activities.
A stairwell accident in Indianapolis may be connected to a defect that affects a person while ascending or descending. Examples include:
The condition of the staircase may help show why the fall occurred. A worn tread may affect footing, while inadequate lighting may make a change in step height difficult to see. A handrail problem may also remove an important source of support when balance is lost.
Responsibility often depends on who controlled the stairway and who was expected to maintain it. In an apartment building or another rental property, a shared stairwell generally falls within the landlord’s responsibility for common areas. Under Ind. Code § 32-31-8-5, a landlord must make reasonable efforts to keep common areas in proper condition and must comply with applicable health and housing codes.
That rule may be important after a stairwell accident in a rental building, because the stairs may serve multiple tenants or visitors. The analysis may differ when the stairway is located entirely inside a tenant’s private unit. A staircase inside a business’s own leased space may also involve a different responsible party, depending on control of the area and maintenance obligations. A personal injury lawyer may review the lease and the evidence showing who had authority over the stairway.
Evidence collected close to the incident may help preserve details that could be more difficult to attain alter. For an injured person, photographs may show a broken step or worn tread as it appeared when the fall happened. Images may also document whether a handrail was missing or too low, and the lighting conditions in the stairwell may reveal how dark it was.
Records may provide another important part of an Indianapolis stairwell accident claim. Maintenance logs or repair records could show whether the condition had been reported before the injury, and prior work orders may help establish whether someone responsible for the property knew about a recurring problem.
Building-code requirements may also be relevant. If a stairwell did not meet a requirement involving handrails or another safety feature, that issue may help evaluate whether reasonable care was provided. McCready Law could investigate the stairs and review available records to understand how the incident occurred.
After a serious fall, you may be dealing with pain and uncertainty about what caused the accident. Stairwell accidents in Indianapolis often require a close look at the staircase itself and at who was responsible for maintaining it. McCready Law could examine the available evidence and explain your legal options. Contact the firm to discuss your stairwell injury with a trained attorney as soon as possible.
