Caroselli Beachler McTiernan & Conboy, L.L.C. Blog

When we think of being injured on someone else's property, we usually think of being injured inside the building. In some of our recent blog posts, we've discussed a restaurant employee slipping and falling in a puddle of water and an individual tripping and falling down the a staircase in a person's home. What some people may not realize, however, is that businesses and individuals are responsible for maintaining the property outside their buildings or homes as well.

In a current trip-and-fall case, a Pennsylvania couple is suing Trader Joe's, alleging that the store's failure to maintain the concrete around its entrance and exist caused the woman to fall and fracture her hip. The lawsuit says that the woman was exiting the store when a wheel of her cart got stuck in a hole created by missing concrete. The car tipped over, and the woman fell with it.

Apartment building owners are responsible for ensuring that their tenants live in a safe environment. This means being in compliance with building codes and performing regular maintenance checks to ensure that there are no potential dangers to tenants. After all, Pennsylvania renters don't hand over their hard-earned cash each month to live in hazardous conditions. Unfortunately, not all landlords are as good about maintaining buildings as they should be. When buildings are neglected, however, problems can arise.

Yesterday morning, a massive fire erupted at an apartment building in Chester County. The fire set off two alarms, and required firefighters from eight different companies to put it out. Fortunately, none of the tenants were injured in the blaze, but 40 of them are now without a place to live. The local Red Cross has stepped in to help these people.

Last week we wrote about the potential asbestos problem at the Pittsburgh Police Training Academy. While some brushed off reports of asbestos and other hazardous material in the building as being low-risk, a current lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania could show the serious affects that such hazardous conditions can have on an individual's long-term health.

An 82-year-old man who worked for much of his life in Pennsylvania has filed a mass tort injury lawsuit against CSX Transportation, the U.S. Navy, B&O Railroad and other companies. In his claim, he alleges that all of the employers he worked for in Pennsylvania allowed their employees to be exposed to asbestos. Last year, the man was diagnosed with lung cancer, which he believes is a result of the asbestos exposure.

Last week we wrote about a wrongful death case in which a man fell down a flight of stairs at a party. After he died, his wife sued the homeowners for failing to maintain a safe property. This week, we have a very similar slip-and-fall story to tell, although the case itself is much more unusual.

Approximately two years ago, a man was visiting his daughter's home in Philadelphia when he slipped on the stairs and fell down them. The fall caused serious medical problems, including cardiac arrest, rib fractures and brain stem bleeding. After being rushed to the hospital, he died from his injuries. Now, his daughter is the subject of a $50,000 wrongful death lawsuit filed on his behalf.