DON’T DELAY SHOVELING YOUR SIDEWALK AND DRIVEWAY AFTER SNOWFALL
Do you worry about getting sued if someone falls on their property? This is understandable, and hopefully a good motivation to get out and shovel the snow off your sidewalk and driveway. While you’re at it, you should also put down some salt or ice melt. Our lawyers represent people who fell on the slippery sidewalk or driveway of someone’s property.
Of course, another good reason to take care of your property is so that other people won’t get hurt. If someone slips and falls on your property, they can be seriously injury. The desire not to injure someone is an even better reason to shovel your sidewalk and get rid of the ice.
REASONABLE TIME FOR SNOW REMOVAL
As far as being sued when someone falls on ice on your property and is injured, the rule in Minnesota is that a property own has a reasonable amount of time after it snows to take care of their property. This is generally interpreted as about 24 hours after it stops snowing.
Of course, a new snow does not always relieve the homeowner or property owner from liability. If the new snow is just covering ice that had already accumulated on the sidewalk or driveway, you may still be responsible. In fact, sometimes new snow makes the property owner more liable because it covered ice the injured person might have otherwise seen.
The bottom line is that a property owner doesn’t need to panic to get the snow removed while it is still snowing. But you should do it promptly after the snow stops. The property owner should also avoid letting the ice accumulate over the course of the winter. Ice buildup obviously creates a dangerous hazard for visitors and guests. You don’t want to get sued when someone falls on your property, and you shouldn’t want people getting injured on your property. You can prevent most slip fall accidents by being responsible.
Our lawyers have represented hundreds of people injured by falling on ice or slippery driveways, sidewalks, and other situations. If you have been injured in an accident, call us for a free consultation. We will review the facts of your case and help you decide what to do. The primary purpose of our attorneys is to make sure people get the injury compensation they are entitled to.