People and gravel paths

@jakill (835)
March 3, 2010 11:03am CST
What do you think of people who park their cars on gravel filled driveways and fail to keep masses of individual stones from the footpath and roadway alongside. These stones are not only unsightly and uncomfortable to walk on, they are also a dangerous hazard. I've just negotiated such an area and almost went down. Who would you sue if you fell on the footpath and broke a limb - the council or the house owner?
4 responses
p1kef1sh
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
3 Mar 10
I know what you mean. I suspect that you'd sue the landowner where you fell and they in turn might sue the owner of the driveway/path. But I think that it would be hard to win such a case.
1 person likes this
jakill
@jakill (835)
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8 Mar 10
You're probably right. I don't suppose I'd try it anyway. But I've heard of lots of people who do sue councils over fals on uneven pavements. And I know of one person who managed to buy a new house after she fell on a friend's property, and the friend said, "We're insured, so it's ok to sue us and see what you can get."
1 person likes this
Reyk22
@Reyk22 (131)
• United States
3 Mar 10
I wouldn't sue anyone, I do not need to tattle tale for money. If I got seriously injured, I'd get back at the house owner in my own special way (hehe). It is pretty unlikely that I would get hurt on a gravel road, I mean seriously. If I didn't get hurt too badly I would just suck it up lol.
jakill
@jakill (835)
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8 Mar 10
hvedra is right, Reyk22, and it is the fact that they don't sweep the gravel back that I object to. But I can't help wonering what your special way of getting back at them would be.
hvedra
@hvedra (1619)
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5 Mar 10
The poster isn't talking about a gravel road but a hard surface which the house owner has spilled gravel on - this can make it a very dangerous surface. Why should anyone get hurt because someone else is too lazy to clean up their mess?
savypat
@savypat (20216)
• United States
3 Mar 10
Well you know how it is when you sue, you get everybody and their cousins involved in hopes that someone has some money you can get. I grew up in a lawyer's family. Hope you have insurance, that way you could let them do the suing.
jakill
@jakill (835)
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8 Mar 10
Right, Pat. I'll remeber to ask you all my legal questions. LOL. I doubt I will be suing anyone, but there does seem to be a culture of it around just now.
hvedra
@hvedra (1619)
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5 Mar 10
It would probably be the landowner because they are obstructing the footpath/making it dangerous. If there is a lot of spillage it is worth reporting it to the council because then they can make the landowner deal with it. I thikn a lot of people with cars must NEVER walk anywhere because they park stupidly on pavements, create mess like you've described and just seem oblivious to pedestrians.
jakill
@jakill (835)
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8 Mar 10
I hadn't actually thought of reporting it to the council. But it's probably a good idea. It may be just thoguhtlessness on the part of the home owner and a reminder about it from someone in authority might do the trick. It would only take a few moments each day to sweep it all back.
1 person likes this