Most of us dread walking in the winter. Snow thaws and refreezes as ice, then slush piles up and turns to freezing puddles. Local property owners and businesses are supposed to keep sidewalks clear next to streets, and when they do not, their decisions can lead to painful accidents.
How can you know whether an owner or business is responsible for slip and falls involving snow or ice in Pittsburgh? Our experienced slip and fall accident attorneys could help determine your rights to compensation. Contact Bordas & Bordas today to schedule your initial consultation.
Responsibility for the grounds belongs to the property’s owner, business tenant, or whoever else is in charge of it. The city of Pittsburgh requires neighboring property owners to clear sidewalks within a reasonable time, but whether an owner is liable for slip and fall accidents on snow and ice depends first on how much has accumulated.
Owners can be liable for accidents when they allow “hills and ridges,” mounds, or other obstructions of snow or ice to accumulate. If they know or should know about such obstructions that prevent travel, they may owe compensation for any resulting falls. However, an accident in “generally slippery” weather conditions is not the owner’s fault.
Snow and ice falls can cause:
Physical traumas like these can take months or years to recover from, if a full recovery is possible at all. An injured person will not only have to pay for medical care, but also for home assistance, childcare, and other work they cannot do, all while coping with their own loss of income.
If you have been injured in this way, you must recover damages. However, the property owner’s insurance company may do everything it can to avoid paying the full amount that it owes, making it essential to work with a seasoned ice slip and fall attorney in Pittsburgh.
Insurers often use two tactics: alleging that the survivor is at fault for their accident and, if possible, saying that they had no real business on the property where the fall took place.
Property owners have to keep their premises safe for invitees, or people they invite to do business with them, such as shoppers, clients, students, and sometimes tenants. In addition, an owner cannot leave hidden slipping hazards in the way of guests and incidental users, although they do not have the duty to inspect the property. When you can show that the Pittsburgh property owner should have removed the problem that caused your ice or snow slip and fall, the insurer may claim that the accident was their fault.
After slip and falls involving snow or ice in Pittsburgh, survivors are likely to struggle with holding property owners to account. At Bordas & Bordas, our slip and fall attorneys have a history of taking the fight to major corporations and winning.
Our first and last job is to listen to our clients. Accident investigation and analysis could lead us to the responsible party, and our experience helps lead us to victory. Contact us today to get the process started by making an appointment at our office.
