As reported in local news a couple of weeks ago, a Tucson-area man suffered a significant personal injury when he fell about 30 feet after a guardrail gave way at a scenic overlook spot on Mount Lemmon during his early morning visit to the site.
Pima County Sheriff’s deputies said the 44-year-old man’s injuries were considerable, although not life-threatening.
It’s unknown whether the man was accompanied at the time of his fall, but rescue workers were able to quickly retrieve him from the slope and carry him to an ambulance. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. At press time, no other information was available about his condition.
Nature lover pays the price for a good view
Although initial reports were unclear about the exact circumstances of the man’s fall, apparently he was walking in the area and wanted to obtain the best possible view of the scenery below. It is possible that he was leaning against a guardrail when it suddenly gave way, sending him tumbling down the slope.
The condition of the safety guardrail and retaining wall are unknown. It’s possible that the weight of the visitor leaning against the fence caused a weak section to buckle, pitching him down the mountainside. After years of tight maintenance budgets, Tucson and Pima County residents are accustomed to shaky infrastructure on both public and private properties.
Who pays for accidents caused by faulty infrastructure?
Sometimes, it’s difficult to know who’s responsible for maintaining publicly-accessible infrastructure such as guardrails, fences, roads and other safety-related structures. Yet, whether government agencies or private property owners are responsible, accident victims can still suffer personal injury when safety infrastructure fails.
If you or someone you love has been hurt in an accident anywhere in Tucson or Pima County resulting from faulty maintenance, negligence, or the bad actions of others, you should seek professional legal help.
Bob Barber is Tucson’s top personal injury attorney. He and his staff can find the underlying causes for your accident, help hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions, work to prevent similar future accidents, and obtain the financial relief to which you are entitled.
If you’ve been hurt, start the healing process today by calling the Bob Barber Law Firm at 520-293-4440.