Who Is Liable for Injuries Caused by Winter Slip and Fall Accidents?

 Posted on December 08,2020 in Slip and Fall

As the winter season begins, Illinois residents are preparing to deal with cold and inclement weather. While most people will be taking precautions to protect themselves while at home or while driving, it can be impossible to foresee every potential hazard. This is especially true when it comes to snow and ice, which can greatly increase the chances of slip and fall accidents that lead to serious injuries. If you have been injured in this type of accident while you are in a public place or on someone else’s property, you will want to work with an attorney to determine how you can receive financial compensation.

Liability for Fall Accidents Caused by Winter Weather

During the winter, slip and fall accidents may occur on sidewalks or other outdoor walkways due to the accumulation of snow and ice. These accidents can also take place indoors at locations such as restaurants or stores due to wet floors caused by snow, sleet, or rain entering through a building’s doorways or water dripping from people’s shoes and clothes.

Property owners or tenants who are in control of a property are required to protect the safety of their visitors. If a property owner does not take steps to address hazards, they may be held liable for injuries that occur because of their negligence. For instance, a store owner may be responsible for slip and fall accidents that occurred because they did not clean up wet floors, did not use floor mats to prevent the accumulation of water near a building’s entrance, or did not provide warnings about slipping hazards.

A person who was injured in a slip and fall accident may be able to pursue compensation from a property owner through a premises liability lawsuit. In these cases, they will need to show that there were hazardous conditions on the premises that the property owner knew or should have known about, the property owner did not take reasonable steps to address these hazards, and the victim suffered injuries as a result. 

One thing that is important to note about winter slip and fall accidents is that under Illinois law, a property owner may only be held liable for injuries that occurred because of unnatural accumulations of snow, ice, or melt water. For example, a property owner will usually not be responsible if a person fell on a sidewalk that was slippery following a snowstorm. However, a property owner may be liable if an improperly-maintained drainage system caused water to build up on a sidewalk and freeze, leading to slip and fall hazards because of the unnatural accumulation of ice.

Contact Our Schaumburg Premises Liability Attorneys

Winter slip and fall accidents can result in a variety of serious injuries, including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, or spine injuries. At Newland & Newland, LLP, we can help you determine whether you can pursue a premises liability claim against a negligent property owner, and we will fight to make sure you are fully compensated for your damages. Contact our Rolling Meadows premises liability lawyers today at 847-797-8000 to arrange a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2048&ChapterID=57

https://courts.illinois.gov/CircuitCourt/CivilJuryInstructions/IL_IPI_Civil.pdf