Yes, you can sue the city if you fall on the sidewalk. The City must have "actual notice" of the defect in the sidewalk, and a claim must be filed with 90 days of the occurrence. It is only worthwhile to sue the City for a fall on the sidewalk is you have sustained a very serious injury. This is because litigation against the City is expensive, and the investment is not merited unless there are enough "damages" to collect.
Not all serious injuries show up on X-rays, and a follow-up with a specialist, including testing such as an MRI might indeed show a serious injury.
Personal Injury Attorneys call this type of scenario "delayed injuries." It happens all the time. Right after the shock of an accident, and the police come to the scene and you tell them you're fine, but then you go home and realize that everything is hurting. Of course, it is always better for an injury lawsuit if you notice your injuries right away, but it's not too late to seek medical treatment for "delayed injuries" at any time after the accident when you realize you were hurt.
Most personal injury cases are handled with a contingency fee. This means that the personal injury lawyer is laying out the money to prosecute the case, only getting paid when there is a settlement or a verdict. Some types of personal injury cases require a very large investment in time and money, so these cases need to be a "slam dunk" on both liability and damages before an attorney will be willing to make an investment.
If you are wondering, "What should I do if my child is injured," the first thing is to figure out what insurance applies so that they can get medical care. Then it is worth investigating whether somebody's carelessness caused the injury. There are specific types of claims specific to children, where adults should have to take extra care. For more information, please call 718-261-8114 for a free consultation.
If you are asking "Should I File a Lawsuit" in NY, there are many factors to consider. Litigation is lengthy and expensive, so you must consider whether your case is strong enough. There will be work to do for both yourself and your attorney. If you are considering filing a lawsuit, call Wittenstein & Wittenstein for a free consultation at 718-261-8114.
Queens NYC Personal Injury Attorney explains how to know if you should make a case for a particular set of facts. There are many factors in the decision and the best thing to do is to speak to a Personal Injury Attorney for advice.