Public Safety Announcement: Dangerous Sidewalk Grate in Downtown Olympia, WA

If you have walked to breakfast at The Leaning Maple in downtown Olympia, you have likely walked over or right past it: a set of steel grate panels built into the sidewalk a few steps from the restaurant’s front door. Local business owners and neighbors have complained about this dangerous Olympia sidewalk grate for years, and people have been hurt on it. We are sharing what we know because two of the people injured there are our clients.

What is the hazard on this downtown Olympia sidewalk?

The hazard is a sidewalk grate made of several steel panels set into the walkway just outside The Leaning Maple, a popular breakfast restaurant in downtown Olympia. The sidewalk grate has been associated with several reported injuries, and local business owners and community members have pressed the City of Olympia to address it.

The sidewalk grate sits right next to the restaurant’s entrance, where diners line up and walk in. Its panels are framed in diamond-plate steel, and leaves and debris can collect in the grate openings.

Metal grating and diamond-plate frames can lose traction in rain, and Olympia sees plenty of it. A fall onto steel and concrete can cause fractures, head injuries, and back injuries, especially for older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls are the leading cause of injury for adults 65 and older.

What do we know about the injuries tied to this grate?

Two of our clients fell on this sidewalk grate and suffered serious injuries. While investigating their falls, we learned that other people had also been injured after encountering the same hazard. Despite those injuries and years of complaints, the dangerous sidewalk grate stayed in place.

We are not sharing our clients’ names or medical details, out of respect for their privacy.

Earlier falls in the same spot and years of complaints can matter in a premises liability claim, since they bear on who knew about the sidewalk grate and for how long.

Is PSE replacing the sidewalk grate?

We recently learned that PSE, Puget Sound Energy, intends to finally replace the sidewalk grate outside The Leaning Maple. That is welcome news for Olympia residents, downtown workers, and visitors who use this stretch of sidewalk to reach breakfast and the shops nearby.

We do not have a confirmed construction schedule to share. In the meantime, treat the existing sidewalk grate as a hazard and plan your route with care.

How can you stay safe near the grate until it is replaced?

Until the sidewalk grate is replaced, a sensible approach is to slow down, watch your footing, and step around the panels where you can. Pay extra attention in rain and after leaves drop, and when you are carrying a child or looking at a phone instead of the ground.

A few habits can help reduce the chance of a fall on this block:

• Look down before you step. Scan the surface a few steps ahead, especially near the restaurant entrance and the sidewalk signs.
• Wear shoes with grip. Smooth soles and heels can slide or catch on steel grating.
• Keep a hand free. Leave a hand available to catch yourself or steady a companion.
• Walk with older family members. Offer an arm to parents, grandparents, or anyone using a cane or walker.

Who can be responsible for a sidewalk trip and fall in Washington?

Responsibility for a sidewalk grate fall depends on who owns, controls, and maintains the grate and the sidewalk around it. In Washington, that can include a utility company, a city, and sometimes the owner of the adjacent property, and more than one party can share fault.

This kind of claim falls under premises liability, the area of law that holds owners and operators accountable for unsafe conditions on property they control. When a city is involved, the claim also touches government liability, which comes with its own procedures.

The problem reaches beyond one block. KIRO 7 reported that Olympia’s sidewalk inventory found about 28,000 defects across 226 linear miles of sidewalk.

What should you do if you were hurt on this sidewalk grate?

If you fell on the sidewalk grate outside The Leaning Maple, get medical care first, then preserve what you can about the fall. Photos, witness names, and medical records help an attorney understand what happened and which parties may share responsibility for your injuries.

These steps can help protect a future claim:

• See a doctor. Some injuries, including concussions and back injuries, show symptoms hours or days later.
• Photograph the sidewalk grate. Capture the panels, the frames, and any gap or raised edge, plus the weather and your shoes.
• Write down what happened. Note the time, where you were walking, and anyone who helped you.
• Keep your records. Save medical bills, receipts, and notes about missed work.
• Talk to a lawyer before giving statements. A utility, city, or insurer may ask for a recorded statement early.

Our post on slip and fall injuries in Washington explains more about how these claims work.

Have you been injured?

If you or someone you know has information about this sidewalk grate, or was injured on it, please contact our office or call us at 253-472-6000. Details from other people who fell here can help us understand how long the dangerous sidewalk grate was known and left in place.

We bring over two decades of personal injury law experience in Washington State to cases like these. You can learn more about our firm and review our case results. Every case is different, so we recommend talking through your situation with us.

Frequently Asked Questions