Dear homeowners,

A few days ago I was walking down the block when my foot caught the raised edge of a sunken sidewalk slab. I pitched forward and caught myself at the very last second. Baruch Hashem, I didn’t fall. But it really jolted me. My heart was pounding the rest of the way, and all I could think was: what if that had been an elderly man on his way to shul, or a mother pushing a stroller, or a child running ahead?

Since then I have been paying attention, and I see it quite often. Slabs that have cracked into pieces. Slabs that have sunk an inch or two below the next one. Slabs pushed up by tree roots so the edge sticks up just enough to catch a shoe. In daylight you might notice it. Now that it’s dark early, you won’t.

What many homeowners don’t realize is that the sidewalk in front of their home is their responsibility to maintain. It is not the township’s job and it is not the neighbor’s job. And if someone trips on a broken or uneven slab and gets hurt, the homeowner can be held responsible and could find himself facing a lawsuit. That is an expensive and painful lesson no one wants to learn after the fact, and far worse is knowing that someone was injured in front of your own house.

So I am asking every homeowner who reads this: please take two minutes and walk the sidewalk in front of your home. Look for cracks, sunken sections and raised edges. If a slab needs to be replaced, take care of it before the winter. If you are renting, let your landlord know.

Our sidewalks carry strollers, wheelchairs, walkers, children and older people. Some concrete now can prevent a terrible injury later.

Ty.

A Walker Who Now Watches Every Step

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