Everyone knows winters in Western New York can be rough, and no property owner can be expected to do a perfect job of keeping snow and ice off a sidewalk. When the weather allows, however, businesses and building owners are required to make reasonable efforts to keep their property safe. When a Buffalo resident suffers a personal injury as a result of a slip and fall on snow or ice, how long the snow or ice was there be very important in determining if the party responsible for clearing the walkways was negligent. Here’s what you need to know about inclement weather in slip and fall lawsuits.
Generally, when someone slips on snow, ice or any other dangerous surface, it must be proven that it was there long enough that the responsible party could reasonably be expected to discover and fix the problem. If there is an ongoing snowstorm at the time an injured person fell, it can be difficult to recover any damages because the snow or ice usually could not reasonably have been removed prior to the slip and fall.
Slip and Fall Cases Caused By Ice or Snow
While in some cases it may be possible to prove that a particular patch of ice or snow was there before the storm and should have been removed earlier, for obvious reasons this can be very difficult. Slip and fall cases caused by ice or snow are more likely to be successful if the weather supports the slippery surface having been there long enough to be removed, but nothing was done.
Suffered A Personal Injury In a Fall?
If you have suffered a personal injury in a fall, please feel free to call us at 585-600-0000 or 716-460-0000. We would be happy to answer your questions.