Now that daylight savings time is well upon us, it is important to remind you to make sure that you have adjusted your outside lights to compensate for the extra darkness in the morning. This is especially important for business owners and homeowners. Most people forget that we suddenly get an extra hour of darkness in the morning when the clocks are moved ahead by the one hour for the time change. This can mean that public areas that previously were illuminated at a designated time now might be dark for an extra hour unless the owner makes sure to adjust the timer for the outside light. If this seems trivial, it’s not.
I have heard of many cases where pedestrians have been severely injured by hazards in public walkways and stairways because the areas were darkened due to a light that did not turn on in the morning at the proper time. If the lights had just been adjusted to compensate for the extra hour of darkness in the morning as a result of the time change, many of these unfortunate incidents would not have happened. The same holds true for when daylight savings time ends. At that time, outdoor lighting should be adjusted to compensate for the extra hour of darkness in the late afternoon. You should regularly inspect your property during daylight hours and nighttime hours to look for anything that could be hazardous to pedestrians. The nighttime inspections are important to determine whether outside and perimeter lights are working properly and also to determine whether there are any hazards that would not be uncovered during a daylight inspection of the premises. With regard to these inspections, it is always better to be safe than sorry. The extra effort involved in making sure your outside area is safe for pedestrians is well worth it, especially if it prevents someone from getting injured at the property.
If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a dangerous condition due to faulty outdoor lighting at someone’s property, give us a call right away. We can help you if you are hurt as a result of someone else’s negligence.
Stephen Di Stefano is an attorney in Stark & Stark’s Marlton, New Jersey office, concentrating in Accident & Personal Injury Law. For more information, please contact Mr. Di Stefano.