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With the Snow Comes Slip and Fall Season

Posted: January 24, 2011

The ice and snow that accumulates in parking lots, on sidewalks, outdoor stairs and stoops in our area at this time of year make walking a dangerous proposition. Young or old, it’s easy to lose your balance and take a tumble that leaves you with a broken bone or other injury that interferes with your ability to work and to pursue your normal activities.

Business owners and homeowners have a responsibility to maintain their property so that the possibility of falling is greatly reduced. In some municipalities, ordinances require that you clear your sidewalks. Even indoors, the law requires safe flooring, good lighting and proper instructions for leaving a building. Slip and fall accidents don’t just result from icy conditions, they can be caused by a number of issues such as wet floors, potholes, or uneven and weathered floors or stairs.

If you do fall in an area that should be maintained for public use, and the owner of the property has been negligent, you may be able to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for your medical expenses, lost work time, pain and suffering, and interference with your usual pursuits.

Your case must fulfill certain criteria to succeed:

• The fall must have taken place in an area that is open and readily accessible to the public.
• You need to have been taking proper precautions for walking under the circumstances, by wearing appropriate boots, for example.
• You must have been paying proper attention to the conditions.
• The owners of the property must have known about the hazard and have had a reasonable amount of time to clear up the problem.
• Did the owner have any warning about the hazard and fail to try to alert you to the problem and prevent an accident?
• Could the same accident have happened to just about any person?
• Did the owner cause the unsafe conditions or was the owner negligent in getting the problem fixed?

If you have suffered a slip and fall accident and think your situation fulfills the above criteria, call us for a free consultation and evaluation of your case. At Jeffrey Freedman Attorneys at Law we have successfully represented many clients with similar cases. We are knowledgeable about the laws in injury claims and can help you get the settlement you deserve.

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