2 ms·

Or we can say one should exercise reasonable care, and recognize that with 11,000 miles of sidewalk some bumps are not out of the ordinary. Because this is why

Or we can say one should exercise reasonable care, and recognize that with 11,000 miles of sidewalk some bumps are not out of the ordinary. Because this is why someone tells you that for legal reasons sidewalks can't exist. Because someone may sue you. We used to walk through the woods, filled with roots. Now a largely flat surface is so hazardous with a small uplift that it deserves massive litigation? Could we offer a sidewalk walking pass to folks who signed a waiver? Anyone unable to walk on a sidewalk safely is cocooned at home or in a car?

giantg2 5y ago
I agree. The problem is when laws leave things up to being "reasonable" we end up with arguments like in this case where they claim the city failed to take reasonable care of the sidewalk, or that the rider failed to exercise reasonable care, etc. So we leave it mostly up to a few jury members, who's opinions and views can vary wildly from case to case.
cudgy 5y ago
> We used to walk through the woods, filled with roots. Now a largely flat surface is so hazardous with a small uplift that it deserves massive litigation? Big difference is that one expects to encounter roots in the woods. Don’t think that people expect to trip on roots in a sidewalk. My guess is that a root that caused a scooter to flip is more than a small uplift, but I am, of course, not privy to the details of the case.