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The winter months often bring hazardous conditions, such as ice and snow. If you’re on someone else’s property and you slip on a patch of ice, you may wonder whether you have the right to recover compensation for your losses, and rightly so. Read on to learn what you need to know.
The Duty of Care
The Property Owner’s Duty
Property owners and operators are expected to adhere to a duty of care to reasonably keep property-goers safe. Some of the responsibilities in the property owner’s duty of care include:
- Regular property inspections, and
- Remove or mediate snow and ice within a reasonable period of time.
If a property owner or operator fails to live up to the duty of care and someone on the property gets hurt as a result, the property owner/operator may be held accountable for negligence.
It is fairly common for property owners to have contracts with snow plowing companies that remove snow and ice from parking lots and sidewalks.
Regardless of who handles the snow and ice removal on the property, the property owner or operator is always expected to predict the dangers prompted as a result of snow and ice, and the premises must be attended to appropriately in order to mitigate the risk of harm.
Regarding a slip and fall lawsuit, it comes down to whether the property owner or operator’s behavior was reasonable considering the situation in its entirety.
Your Duty
While property owners have a duty of care, you are also expected to adhere to a certain standard of conduct while on another’s property. You must exercise reasonable care when you are on an area of the property you know (or should sensibly anticipate) will be snowy or icy.
If you do not exhibit reasonable care and it contributes to your injury in a slip and fall accident, you may limit your recovery in a lawsuit.
We’re Here to Help
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident as a result of an icy walkway, we may be able to help you recover the compensation you deserve. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our office with your questions right away.
Contact Christie Farrell Lee & Bell today with the details of your case by calling 317-488-5500 or filling out our online contact form to learn more about how we can help.