New York Snow and Ice Slip and Fall Accident Attorney
Every winter, much of New York is blanketed in snow. While the snow can be lovely to look at, it can be a hassle, and even a hazard, to deal with. Store managers, apartment building owners, and other owners and operators of real estate are responsible for ensuring that their property is safe for guests and visitors. If a building owner leaves a walkway snowy or icy or fails to clean up a wet floor in an entranceway or hallway, then they are responsible for anyone injured as a result. People can easily fall on wet or icy surfaces inside and outside buildings, leading to broken bones, head trauma, brain injury, and other serious injuries. Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury across the country.
If you have been hurt due to a snowy or icy surface on someone else’s property in Goshen, New York City, or anywhere in the Hudson Valley, contact the premises liability attorneys at Dupée & Monroe, P.C., to find out if you have a claim for relief. We have years of experience helping slip and fall victims recover damages for their medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering that results from a serious slip and fall accident.
The Dangers of Ice and Snow
Ice and snow leave a slippery residue on surfaces, creating a significant risk of sliding, slipping, tripping, and falling. Hard, icy ground can be even more dangerous than asphalt or other types of surfaces. Moreover, wet, icy surfaces can be hard to detect. Property owners may clear a sidewalk of snow only to uncover a patch of ice below, which they do not identify or remedy. Snow from the morning may melt as the sun rises throughout the day. Guests may not notice wet or icy surfaces, especially if the area is not well-lit or if the ice has turned black and matches the surrounding surface.
Slipping and falling on a wet, snowy, or icy surface can lead to a variety of serious and debilitating injuries. Common slip and fall injuries suffered by accident victims include the following:
- Head trauma and traumatic brain injury
- Sprains, strains, and tears of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments
- Broken and fractured bones
- Scrapes, cuts, and other lacerations
- Nerve damage
- Herniated or ruptured discs
- Concussions
- Coma
- Spinal cord injury, including paralysis
If you or someone you care about has fallen on a patch of ice or a wet spot left by snow, you might have a claim for damages against the person or entity that owns the property. Talk to a passionate New York snow and ice accident lawyer to discuss your injuries and the compensation to which you may be entitled.
Who is Liable for a Snow or Ice Slip and Fall in New York?
Property owners, renters, operators and managers have a responsibility to visitors and guests to keep the premises safe. Homeowners and renters must clean up or warn about known hazards, such as an icy walkway, a slippery staircase, or a wet foyer. It is reasonable for a homeowner to know that an entranceway is likely to accumulate snow, ice, and water when there is snow on the ground outside, so they should be regularly checking to make sure such areas are safe (or, at the least, they should warn guests).
Commercial property owners and managers have a greater responsibility to visitors. Restaurant owners, grocery store operators, office building owners, and others who invite members of the public onto their premises must do more than clean up or warn about known hazards. They must also take reasonable measures to inspect their property for possible hazards. If an icy or wet spot is left unattended for an unreasonable amount of time, then it is a dangerous hazard the property owner should have remedied.
Whether a private residence or a commercial building, if an owner or manager fails in their duty to keep the premises safe for their guests, then they are open to liability for any injury that results. Call a seasoned ice and snow injury lawyer about your accident to find out whether you have a proper claim for negligence against the premises owner.
Reach Out to a Seasoned Snow & Ice Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer in Goshen
The slip & fall accident attorneys at Dupée & Monroe, P.C., have decades of experience helping victims injured by dangerous snow, sleet, and ice hazards. If you or a loved one has been injured in an icy slip and fall accident at a supermarket, office building, liquor store, construction site, or residential home in Goshen, the Hudson Valley or New York City, contact Dupée & Monroe, P.C., today for a free consultation and immediate assistance. We handle personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that we don’t get paid until you do.
