March 11, 2016

Did You Slip and Fall on Ice? Here Is What You Need to Know

Posted in Slip and Fall Accidents

At some point in your life, as in everyone’s life, you may have slipped and fallen on ice. The vast majority of the times, you quickly picked yourself up, brushed yourself clean, and continued going about your day. However, if you were injured in that fall there are certain things that you need to know if you want to pursue a claim with a personal injury lawyer.

The first thing that you should do is take a picture of the ice and its relationship to the building it’s in front of. It is very important for the condition that you fell on to be documented. It would also be helpful if a police accident report or an ambulance report was made at the scene of the accident to verify that you fell on the ice at that specific location.

Also, if there are any witnesses around collect the names, addresses, and phone numbers of each witness. This information can help your attorney establish a case.

Landowners or tenants might be held liable for a dangerous condition on the sidewalk in front of the premises caused by the accumulation of snow or ice. If you can show that the owner had notice of the the snow and ice and that a sufficient time had lapsed since the end of the snow for the landowner to clear the premises, they can be held liable for any injury caused by the snow on the sidewalk.

There are some cases where the landowner knows about the snow and ice but is being negligent by improper shoveling, which can cause the condition to actually be worse than if the snow had remained.

If you believe that you or your family member has been injured by a building owner that was negligent, it is important that you see a doctor right after the injury and be sure to keep record of your injuries.

The last step to take is to talk to a personal injury lawyer and see if you have a case. The attorneys at Hecht Kleeger & Damashek are here to fight for your rights. Contact us, we’re here to help.