Brr! It’s cold outside. You know what cold weather means…winter is coming! And what comes with winter but snow. We’ve been lucky with the lack of snow so far but it’s coming. And do you know that you’re responsible if someone slips on a patch of ice in front of your house?
It’s true, this is one of the questions we receive all the time when the weather turns snowy. What happens if you do slip on your neighbor’s sidewalk? Are they responsible? Will they pay for the medical expenses?
Accidents tend to happen, but you could be responsible if someone slips and is injured because of the ice and snow you have failed to clean up. It’s called premises liability: property owners have the obligation to keep sidewalks free of snow and ice accumulation. The following conditions are taken into consideration when deciding responsibility if your visitor slips and falls on your property:
- The circumstances of why the visitor entered your property
- The use of the property (is it a business or a home)
- The ability to foresee the accident or injury
- Any efforts you made to rectify the situation
Got questions on slip and fall accidents? We got your answers! Call us today for a free consultation.