Chances of Accident Increases during Winter Season

Without the proper maintenance and treatment, icy roads, sidewalks and parking lots can pose a serious risk. Similarly, black ice, which forms when a wet surface freezes, creates danger because a pedestrian or driver believes a surface to be wet whereas the reality is the surface is a sheet of ice. If you or a loved one has been injured in a weather-related accident on an icy surface, you may be entitled to compensation for the injuries if your slip and fall or car accident occurred as a result of someone else’s negligence.

Slip and Falls

In the colder weather, it is the legal duty of property owners to maintain reasonably safe conditions to prevent accidental injuries or falls to visitors or residents of the properties. This includes commercial properties, like restaurants, malls, grocery stores, businesses, apartments, hotels and many more. The responsibilities of the property owners include snow and ice removal from all walkways, sidewalks and parking lots. The purpose of this snow and ice maintenance is to prevent any type of foreseeable or preventable slip and fall.

While it is the responsibility of a property owner to safely and reasonably maintain a property, there are certain cautionary steps you can take to protect yourself as well. If you notice that a walkway or path is not clear, speak with a manager. You can take shorter, smaller steps on icy areas and be particularly careful when exiting a vehicle.

Slip and falls can injure people in serious, debilitating ways. Head trauma, broken bones, bruises, sprains and more can occur when a person falls. Additionally, slip and falls account for more than 25% of hospital admissions for people over the age of 65. Generally speaking, however, slip and falls account for roughly one million injuries annually in the United States, and winter proves itself year in and out as the most dangerous, risky season for this type of injury.

Car Accidents

Perhaps the most important tip for wintertime driving is to avoid it at if the conditions are icy as much as possible. Flash freezing, a condition that comes about in just a few, short hours, has taken the lives of many Pennsylvania drivers in recent years alone. The winter season has seen car accident casualties far too often, sometimes with multiple vehicles involved in an accident.

The chances for car accidents increases greatly during wintertime storms, particularly because driving conditions are susceptible to fast moving, sometimes unnoticed, changes. Because of this, it is important that if you do have to drive, that you are vigilant and cautious. Limit distractions, like talking on the phone or texting while you are driving. Similarly, drive slowly and keep an eye out for any and all emergency warnings present on the roadway. Victims who are injured in a car accident that occurs on an icy road may be entitled to collecting compensation for their injuries from a liable driver.

Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP Advocate for Victims Who Have Sustained Serious Injury

If you have sustained injuries as a result of a slip and fall or car accident that occurred in the snow or ice, you will need to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer with the knowledge and ability to successfully pursue your claim. Establishing liability, particularly in multi-vehicle accidents, required fine-tuned skills and attention to detail. The highly regarded personal injury lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP have been successfully representing injured people since 1947. We fight to ensure that our clients obtain the maximum amount of compensation that they deserve, and that those responsible for causing injuries are held accountable.  For a free consultation, contact us online or call 800-222-8792.