In a busy, walkable suburb like Lakewood, stairs aren’t just “in the way”—they’re part of everyday routes. That means property owners and managers generally know (or should know) that people will use those stairs frequently, including evenings and weekends when staffing and inspections may be stretched.
In premises cases, one of the most important issues is whether the responsible party had actual or constructive notice of the hazard. In Lakewood, that often comes down to:
- Prior complaints about loose rails, uneven steps, poor lighting, or cluttered landings
- Maintenance and inspection gaps (especially in multi-unit buildings)
- Seasonal conditions that affect stair safety (trackable with photos and incident reports)
If the defense tries to argue “we didn’t know,” we look for proof showing the condition existed long enough or was visible enough that reasonable inspections should have caught it.


