Local entities are immune from claims made by a personal injury lawyer for tripping or slipping on a sidewalk in most states.  If however there is no such statute in place, any individual tripping on a sidewalk can sue the city by using a personal injury lawyer. Owners of property have to keep sidewalks and any other part of their property that is being used by the public in reasonably safe condition should they want to avoid claims from tripping or slipping by users. If they do find such situations arising, they are duty bound to rope off the area, or post verbal warnings to acknowledge the likely danger of using the sidewalk.

When such injury claims are made, the injured party has to prove that the condition of the property is dangerous and can also cause a person to trip or slip, and also that the owner of the property had knowledge of the unsafe condition. Such injury claims made by way of a personal injury lawyer can be for economic and non economic reasons and may even include future considerations like loss of earnings, disability etc. Non economic reasons can incorporate pain, suffering and trauma caused by tripping on that sidewalk. In cases where negligence can be attributed to deliberate inaction, the injured party can also ask for punitive damages, but this will require proving such reckless disregard for the safety of others by the owner concerned.

Sidewalks of private properties and the ones owned by the city are regularly inspected in most cities.. Accidents that happen on sidewalks that are part of the city's property can result in the city being liable if any one sues them for tripping over them. Most defects in sidewalks come from missing stones or those that are cracked and thus become uneven, which can then result in people tripping over it. Any sudden difference in level of more than half an inch is recognized as a hazard that can cause someone to trip. An improper slope can even be considered a defect that a personal injury attorney may consider as negligence while making a claim on behalf of the injured party.

Even when you sue the city for you trip or slip, the city can dismiss you claim if its determined that the hazard that caused the trip was easily observed. Such injury claims can also be dismissed if the injuries have occurred during or for some time after a snow storm or other inclement weather.