Taking a walk near my house in Memphis, I encountered this dangerous sidewalk condition.
Note that instead of filling in the chasm, the city apparently opted to leave it be and cure the problem instead by spray-painting a thin orange warning line around it.
Since the condition has been there for a quite a while (the orange paint is very faded), it appears this was considered to be an acceptable final fix.
Okay, not quite the stairway to heaven, but this long ladder could give the user a good head start. (All pics are expandable.) This picture from a University of Memphis law student makes me shudder.
Ladders are one of the most dangerous consumer products. A study published by the U.S. National Institutes of Health estimated that 2.2 million people received treatment in emergency rooms for ladder injuries during the 16-year-period from 1990-2005, an average of 136,000 cases a year.
Nearly 10% of injuries resulted in hospitalization, roughly twice that of consumer product-related injuries overall.
Other ladder injury data from the study included:
Don’t underestimate the risks of ladders. Did you know that extension ladders need to be set up at a 75 and 1/2 degree angle (the “4 to 1 rule”) to minimize the risk of slipping?
A University of Memphis law student snapped this shot of someone trying to move way too many wood palletes in the back of a pickup truck, apparently unsecured.
“Let’s see, where should we build the dangerous fireworks retail outlet?”
“How about right here next to these dangerous gasoline pumps?”
“Perfect!”
University of Memphis law student Ella Hernandez caught this funny juxtaposition on a Florida vacation. (Click on the pic to expand and fully appreciate.)
This picture has the makings of a classic Torts exam question. Just throw in some lightning and a school bus careening out of control.
Taken in downtown Memphis, with the Pyramid building in the background.
I guess one of those little yellow flags at the end might help (and may required by law), but that ladder still looks too long to be taking a ride in such a short truck.
Wonder what’s holding it down inside the truck. Whatever it is, leverage is working against it.
In 2010, the University of Memphis law school changed locations, moving from the main university campus to the magnificent, beautifully restored ($42 million worth) U.S. Customs House downtown on the Mississippi River.
The building is incredible, but as with any new gigantic construction project, quite a few punch-list items remained. Immediately, students started spotting and reporting dangerous premises conditions, which were forwarded to the administration.
This particular condition comprised significant drop-offs without barriers on both sides of the main entry doors.
The administration must have agreed it was dangerous because the concrete planters were in place within two days.
Good fix! The drop-offs were not easily visible even in daylight as you can see in the second picture.
Spot the Tort isn’t just for lawyers and law students. A layperson was shocked (not literally, fortunately) to find this high-voltage electrical danger smack in the middle of an Atlanta grocery store.
Note to store: Your hidden warning on the back will not protect you from tort liability with regard to your “business invitee” customers. A business invitor has a duty to make the premises reasonably safe for invitees. Sometimes a warning may suffice, but only it if allows customers to negotiate the premises safely.
A lot of negligence questions are murky with no reliable answers, but I feel comfortable predicting that a judge or jury would consider placing these exposed high voltage cables in a place where children often wander freely to constitute an unreasonable risk.
Ironically, getting close enough to read this warning actually increases the risk.
… 50 yards from a preschool.
University of Memphis law student Leighann Ness sent this picture of a water-filled hole a stone’s throw away from the Nashville preschool attended by her daughter.
Meanwhile, while awaiting corrective action, we can all rest easy that this ribbon of yellow tape will effectively protect nearby toddlers and others.
Leighann reported that her non-lawyer husband is the one who actually spotted the problem. As I always say, Spot the Tort is a game for the whole family.
Thanks to Duncan Young, a childhood friend from back in South Florida, for this pic of a dangerous pedestrian/jogger/pet/bike rider/car-absorbing death-trap on a Ft. Lauderdale street where the grate is missing.
As a good citizen (and police chief of a neighboring community), he reported it. The next time he drove by a new grate had been installed.
No way to know whether the quick corrective action occurred because: (1) Duncan is a police chief of a neighboring community; (2) the city has genuine concern for its citizens; or (3) the city has genuine concerns about being sued.