With the cold and icy New England winter weather quickly approaching, there is a greater risk for slip and fall on ice accidents to occur.
According to the CDC about 1 million people are injured from slip and fall on ice and snow each year. About 17,000 of those falls are fatal. The CDC claims that these harsh winter conditions lead to twice as many fatalities as the summer heat does.
There are several factors that play into slip and fall on ice accidents. Although snow and ice are natural weather conditions, in some situations there, can be liability and an at fault party.
In Massachusetts, all property owners are responsible for keeping their property reasonably safe by removing ice and snow from their private land (walks and stairs) and eliminating any unsafe conditions. Property owners themselves are often responsible for clearing the ice and snow, but there may also be third-party contractors that are hired to be responsible for this.
Eliminating unsafe conditions requires not only the initial removal of snow and ice, but also application of salt and sand as well as proper stock piling of snow to avoid thawing and freezing situations. Although it is assumed that people will take ordinary precautions during a snowy or icy period of weather, property owners or contractors are held responsible when some actions, or failure to act, results in dangerous slip and fall hazards. A common example of dangerous accumulations of ice occurs when large piles of snow created by shoveling or plowing results in thawing, melting, runoff and freezing.
If the responsible parties do not abide by safe snow and ice management practices resulting in dangerous slip and fall hazards and someone is injured, the parties could be found responsible for all damages resulting.
If you are injured due to a slip and fall on ice accident on someone’s property, you should seek medical attention, take photos of the area if possible, and consult with an experienced attorney who will investigate the possible negligence of the property owner or contractor responsible for snow and ice management.
At Diller Law, LLP, we have experience in handling slip and fall cases. Our attorneys will provide a free consultation regarding your slip and fall accident. Contact us at: 617-523-7771 for a free consultation.