People who live in communities managed by a homeowners association (HOA) should be able to trust that the areas the association maintains are safe to use. When dangerous conditions go unaddressed, even something as routine as leaving home can have devastating consequences. That’s exactly what happened to our client when a dangerous set of stairs with a railing failed him right when he needed it most.
As he descended the exterior staircase of his Myrtle Beach townhome, his foot slipped on the unsafe surface. He instinctively reached for the railing to steady himself, but instead of catching his weight, it horrifyingly detached from the stairs and fell forward. With nothing to break his fall, he landed face-first on the concrete sidewalk below.
The force of the impact left him with broken bones in both arms, a spinal fracture, facial injuries, and a concussion. What followed was a painful recovery filled with surgeries, medical appointments, and the loss of his independence and his new job.
With his life turned upside down by an accident that should never have happened, he turned to Joye Law Firm Injury Lawyers for help. Our attorneys fought to hold the HOA accountable and ultimately secured a $1 million settlement to compensate him for his injuries and expenses related to the fall.
A Routine Walk Down the Stairs Ends in Disaster
The staircase outside our client’s townhouse was maintained by the community’s HOA. Unfortunately, the materials used and the way the stairs had been installed created a dangerous walking surface with inadequate slip resistance.
When our client lost his footing, he did what anyone would do. He reached for the railing on the mezzanine landing, expecting it to keep him from falling.
Instead, the defective railing gave way, causing him to plummet face-first onto the concrete below with tremendous force.
In an instant, something as ordinary as walking down the stairs had turned into a medical emergency that would affect nearly every aspect of his life.
Multiple Surgeries and a Painful Road to Recovery
The fall left our client facing a long and complicated recovery. With both arms broken, even the simplest movements became difficult.
His fractures required treatment that included temporary surgical hardware to stabilize his arm. His spinal fracture brought additional pain and physical limitations, making it even harder to move around comfortably.
His facial injuries created another set of challenges. He underwent nasal surgery, with the possibility of additional surgery discussed as part of his future treatment.
The damage to his teeth also required extensive dental work, including bone grafting, implants, and crowns.
As he continued recovering, problems with his hands and wrists added to his difficulties. Doctors diagnosed bilateral median neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome, conditions that can cause pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness.
He eventually underwent another surgery to remove hardware from his left wrist and relieve pressure on the affected nerve.
Instead of recovering from a single injury, our client was dealing with multiple serious conditions, each requiring treatment and time to heal. The pain and physical limitations affected far more than his ability to work. They changed how he could get through his everyday life.
Losing Independence and the Job He Had Just Started
Before the fall, our client had recently started a new job. .Instead of excelling in his new career path, the accident brought those plans to an abrupt halt. At home, the challenges were overwhelming.
With both arms fractured, everyday tasks that most people rarely think about became major obstacles. Getting dressed, preparing a meal, bathing, or taking care of household chores was no longer simple. His spinal injury made bending, lifting, and moving around even more difficult.
For someone accustomed to managing his own daily routine, suddenly needing help with basic activities was a major loss of independence.
His injuries were serious enough that his sister flew in to help care for him during his recovery.
While other people went about their normal routines, our client’s days were shaped by pain, medical treatment, and the challenge of doing things that had once required little thought.
The fall had taken away much more than his physical comfort. It had disrupted his ability to work, care for himself, and live independently.
Joye Law Firm Takes on the HOA Over the Dangerous Staircase
As our client struggled through his recovery, another difficult reality remained: the staircase that caused his injuries was maintained by the HOA, and the association had already received notice that it was defective.
The dangerous condition had not come as a complete surprise. For the legal team at Joye Law Firm Injury Lawyers, this was a critical part of the case. Establishing liability on the HOA meant showing that the stairs presented an unreasonable danger that the HOA had notice of, and that those conditions contributed to our client’s devastating fall.
We focused on the defective installation and materials that made the stairs slippery, along with the illustrating how the railing detached when our client reached for support. We also had to demonstrate just how much the accident had cost our client.
His injuries were not limited to the fractures diagnosed immediately after the fall. He faced multiple surgeries, extensive dental procedures, nerve problems in his hands and wrists, and a recovery that left him dependent on help from family members.
By connecting the dangerous conditions of the staircase to the full extent of our client’s injuries and losses, the legal team fought to establish the HOA’s responsibility and pursue compensation that reflected what he had endured.
$1 Million Settlement Helps Our Client Move Forward
The fight to hold the HOA accountable ultimately resulted in a $1 million settlement for our client.
The recovery recognized the devastating consequences of a fall that left him with serious injuries, extensive medical treatment, and the loss of his independence.
For our client, the settlement could not erase the pain of multiple broken bones, the difficulty of undergoing surgery after surgery, the loss of his new job, or the frustration of needing help with everyday activities. It could not give him back the time he spent recovering instead of working and living his normal life.
But it did provide meaningful financial compensation after an accident that changed so much.
What began as an ordinary walk down the stairs became a lengthy legal fight over the responsibility to maintain a safe property. By pursuing the HOA and calculating the full impact of our client’s injuries, Joye Law Firm Injury Lawyers helped secure an outcome that recognized the seriousness of what he had been through.
At Joye Law Firm Injury Lawyers, we understand that premises liability cases are about more than broken stairs, unsafe walkways, or failed railings. They’re about the people whose lives are changed when property owners and those responsible for maintenance fail to address dangerous conditions.
Our attorneys fight to make sure those stories are heard and that injured people have the opportunity to pursue the compensation they deserve. If you’ve been hurt by unsafe property management, Just Call Joye at (888) 324-3100 for a free case evaluation, we’re here to help.
