Who is at Fault If Someone is Injured due to an Icy Sidewalk?

When the outside conditions become icy and wet, trying to avoid a fall can be quite difficult.  Poor or careless maintenance of sidewalks can quickly become dangerous for pedestrians.

Icy sidewalk accidents can cause serious injuries. Victims may be entitled to damages, depending on the circumstances of the accident.

Determining whether you can hold someone liable for your injuries due to a sidewalk slip and fall will depend on several factors: Who is responsible for maintaining the portion of sidewalk you slipped on and whether the property owner’s actions were negligent.

When owners do not care for their grounds and neglect to remove the snow or de-ice the walkways, they are considered negligent.

The area can become dangerously slick causing a slip and fall hazard.

Responsible businesses and homeowners should take steps to quickly tend to ice and other sidewalk hazards when snowy weather hits.

If a person were to fall on an icy sidewalk or any area that was not tended to in an appropriate time or manner, the victim may be able to hold the property owner liable for their injuries.

Each year, accidental slip and falls cause thirty thousand serious injuries and twenty thousand deaths.  You can read our previous blog post here to learn how you can avoid these types of falls.

Recovering compensation after a slip and fall accident.

Slip falls are one of the most common injury claims pursued during the winter months.  These types of accidents can often lead to serious injuries which means costly medical bills and missed time from work.

If the owner of the property failed to maintain, take appropriate precautions, or fix a known problem that contributed to the fall, a personal injury claim may be pursued.  If you or someone you know were injured in a slip and fall accident, contact the personal injury attorneys at Berger and Green at 412-661-1400 for a free no-obligation consultation.