Avoid Slips and Falls Caused by Winter Weather
Winter precipitation can make sidewalks and tiled entranceways dangerous places to be. Slip-and-fall injuries can be truly devastating, causing ligament tears, sprains and strains, soft tissue damage, lacerations, fractures, and even damage to the head and spine. Make sure to stay safe from injury by following the safety measures outlined below, and if you are injured while walking on negligently-maintained public property, contact an experienced New York slip-and-fall attorney as soon as possible after your accident.
For the same reasons that you need to put the right kind of tires on your car during the snowy, icy winter months, you need to wear the right shoes that can help prevent slipping. Shoes should fit snugly and have deep treads made of nonstick rubber. You can even add clip on metal ice cleats if you’ll be walking in an especially icy area.
Avoid walking on ice as much as possible, no matter how experienced a winter survivor you believe yourself to be. Even young and athletic people are prone to slipping on ice; those who are a little older may have less balance than they used to. Taking short, small steps on slippery surfaces can help.
If you normally carry a cane or use a walker, be sure to take it with you when wintry weather gets rough. It might seem like carrying additional items would make it harder to navigate slippery terrain, but this is when such devices can actually provide the most needed help.
All that said, there are some slip-and-fall accidents that victims are unable to avoid. Property owners and businesses have a duty to safely maintain their parking lots and entranceways, keeping them safe for visitors and customers they invite onto their property. When these property owners fail to keep these areas safe by, for example, using salt to melt invisible ice patches, quickly mopping up puddles of melted snow or ice from a slippery tile entranceway, or using nonslip mats in walkways where snow or water is being repeatedly tracked in, they may face liability in court for injuries that visitors receive from slip-and-fall accidents. If you’re hurt in a winter weather slip-and-fall, be sure to document the scene of the accident as much as possible and contact a personal injury lawyer right away to begin the process of assessing your claim for damages.
If you’ve been injured in a New York slip-and-fall accident, find out if you’re entitled to money damages for your injuries by contacting the knowledgeable and experienced Hudson Valley slip-and-fall lawyers at Rusk, Wadlin, Heppner & Martuscello, LLP for a consultation, in Marlboro at 845-236-4411, and in Kingston at 845-331-4100.
