Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers Provide Winter Safety Tips

Mother Nature has not been kind to the Philadelphia region this winter.  Icy and snowy conditions have often accompanied the arctic temperatures of winter.   These hazardous wintertime conditions pose potential safety risks for many, including the threat of slip and fall accidents and increased risk of auto accidents.

Slip and Fall Accidents Caused by Ice and Snow

Wintertime conditions such as freezing rain, sleet, ice, packed snow, and snow covered ice create the perfect setting for a slip and fall accident.  Steps, sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots are some potentially dangerous areas for outdoor slip and fall accidents.  When snow and ice are tracked indoors, the risk of accident increases as puddles form causing slippery conditions indoors. 

Generally speaking, homeowners and business owners are responsible to keep their properties safe from potential hazards.  This means removing snow and ice from sidewalks and other public areas and walkways.  A property owner must take this responsibility seriously during the inclement winter weather.  If ice or snow amasses at a business owner’s property and creates an unsafe condition resulting in a slip and fall accident, the property owner may be held liable for the person’s injuries.  The laws for snow and ice removal vary from state to state, and even townships and municipalities have their own ordinances regarding snow and ice removal for sidewalks and other public areas. Because this area of law can be complex, the help of a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer is essential if you suffer a fall on another’s property.

Wintertime Auto Accidents

Driving in the snow and ice can often be frightening for many motorists.  Winter driving conditions can include snow covered roads, freezing rain, black ice and visibility “whiteouts.”  The safest way to avoid a car accident in hazardous winter situations is to stay off the road whenever possible.  If you are driving during a snowstorm or other dangerous weather conditions, make sure you prepare your car for winter and know how to properly maneuver your vehicle in poor weather.

Drive slowly, allow ample distance between your vehicle and other cars, and avoid slamming on the brakes.  Preparing your car for winter and predicting and avoiding dangerous situations will help prevent a car accident.  If you employ some of these safety tips you can reduce the risk of an auto accident from a winter storm and keep yourself, your passengers, and other drivers on the road safe.

The Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers at Galfand Berger Can Answer Your Questions about Accident Liability in Icy & Snowy Conditions

The Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP represent individuals injured by the negligence of others who fail to take proper care in winter’s icy and snowy conditions. We understand the complex premises liability laws in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and can help you recover from a property owner who has failed to maintain property as required under the law. Likewise, we can help if you have been injured in an auto accident as a result of a driver failing to maintain safe driving practices in dangerous conditions. If you require assistance or have a question regarding a personal injury matter or premises liability claim, call the reputable Philadelphia personal injury law firm of Galfand Berger today at 1-800-222-USWA (8792) or contact us online.

Our offices are conveniently located in Philadelphia, Reading, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to serve clients in the Philadelphia – Allentown – Harrisburg region of Southeastern Pennsylvania, as well as throughout Southern New Jersey.