Premises owners have the duty to keep guests safe when they are on any part of their property. Many premises owners exercise very safe practices when it comes to the interior of their shops, movie theaters or restaurants, but they frequently fail to place adequate attention on the exterior of their property.
The New York winter months mean that adverse weather conditions can lead to ice and snow on the outside of premises. This means that property owners must make sure that members of the public are not at risk of injuring themselves through slipping and falling on the exterior of their property.
If you have been injured on a premises because of the presence of ice or snow, you may have needed to seek medical treatment. Additionally, you may have had to take time off work in order to recover, meaning that you could have also suffered financially.
How do I know if the premises is responsible for my snow or ice injury?
Property owners have the legal responsibility to maintain the safety of the sidewalks that are outside of their property. This means that if they have not acted to clear the snow or ice on this sidewalk and the cause of your fall was directly related to the presence of the snow or ice, the property owner is likely to be liable for this.
Also, many premises, especially grocery stores, can experience wet floors when the weather is snowy. This is because customers tend to drag in moisture under their shoes as they enter the store. When this situation is not adequately dealt with by the management of the premises, there can be an increased slip hazard in the store. Management should make sure that the floor is regularly dried, that hazard signs are present around the wet floor, and that anti-slip mats are placed in problematic areas to reduce slipping.
If you have suffered due to a premise owner’s negligence regarding adverse weather conditions, it is important that you do not ignore the issue. You may be able to be compensated for medical costs, and gain damages for the pain and suffering you unnecessarily endured.