According to a spokesman from the Georgia Department of Transportation, thieves have been stealing storm grates throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area since December 2012. The thieves have not been identified by authorities.
According to officials, these storm grates, which are used to cover drain holes, have been stolen along highways throughout the Atlanta metro area. The total number of stolen storm grates is approximately 600. These grates typically weigh about 200 pounds and are collectively valued at approximately $500. Georgia Department of Transportation officials are concerned that drivers in Atlanta may get their tires caught in the holes left behind on the roadways; another concern is that a pedestrian may fall into an uncovered drain hole, which could cause a premises liability claim to arise.
A premises liability claim may arise when a person is injured on another person’s property. In order to prevail on such a claim, the victim’s attorney must be able to prove that the landowner was aware of dangerous conditions on his or her property and failed to correct or properly warn people of these conditions. Alternatively, an attorney may be able to prove that the landowner was negligent because he or she should have been aware of the dangerous conditions on the property but failed to adequately monitor the property to discover these conditions.
If a person is injured on a dangerous property in Atlanta, he or she may seek compensation from the liable party. An experienced premises liability lawyer may be able to obtain compensation on behalf of his or her client for the medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages affiliated with severe slip-and-fall injuries or other common injuries sustained on dangerous properties.
Source: CBS Atlanta, “Nearly 600 storm grates stolen from Ga. roads,” Feb. 12, 2013