Winter weather is here in New York City, which means that now there is an even
greater risk of slipping and falling on snow or ice. Falls are one of the most common causes of serious injuries, often causing traumatic brain injuries and hip fractures, which could result in lifelong disabilities. Senior citizens, in particular, are at a high risk for catastrophic injuries or death from slip-and-fall accidents.
Businesses as well as homeowners have a responsibility to keep their properties as safe as possible. When a fall on snowy or icy sidewalks or walkways leads to severe injuries, victims may be able to seek compensation for the injuries, damages and losses sustained.
Victims tend to suffer serious injuries as a result of slipping and falling on ice, slush as well as snow tracked into buildings, which creates wet and slick floors. Building owners and property managers have a responsibility to provide mats and post “wet floor” signs in entrances to warn visitors and prevent falls.
What Steps Do You Need to Take?
Here are some of the immediate steps to take if you have slipped and fallen on ice or snow:
Medical attention: If you have been injured in a slip-and-fall (or trip-and-fall accident), the most important step to take is to seek prompt medical attention, treatment and care. Even if you don’t believe you were injured, you should seek medical attention right away, because there are injuries that may become apparent weeks or even months later. It is also important to maintain all the paperwork/records of the medical treatment associated with your slip and fall accident.
Accident report: It is also crucial that you report the accident. If you slipped and fell on snow or ice outside a business, you should notify the manager of your fall and make a written report. Get a copy of the report for your records. If you slipped and fell on private property, notify the landlord (property owner or manager) and request that a report be made.
Gather evidence: Any evidence you can gather from the scene of the accident can be very helpful. Take photos of the location that had accumulated snow or ice and also take photos of the surrounding area. Take videos of the location as well. Get contact information for anyone who may have witnessed your accident.
Legal counsel: If you have suffered injuries that required you to get medical attention and take time off work, it is imperative that you contact an experienced New York City slip and fall lawyer who will help you prove negligence on the part of the property owner/manager and/or other responsible parties and secure maximum compensation for your losses.
What Are NYC’s Snow Removal Laws?
New York City has very specific laws when it comes to snow removal. New York City’s Department of Sanitation requires that snow be removed no later than four hours after the end of snowfall, or not later than 11 a.m., if the snowfall ended after 9 p.m. the night before. At no time are property managers or owners allowed to shovel snow onto city streets. This is illegal in New York City. When there is snow or ice accumulation, property owners and managers should put up warning signs alerting pedestrians to the dangerous areas.
When it comes to sidewalks, New York City’s Administrative Code requires all businesses and multi-family dwellings to remove snow and ice from their sidewalks. This duty to remove snow and ice from sidewalks does not apply to residential properties with one, two or three families where the properties are occupied by the owner and are not used for business purposes. However, in slip-and-fall accidents that are caused by snow and ice and involve such residential properties, the city may be held liable. The city may also be held responsible for any failure to clear snow or ice that collects in crosswalks and contributes to an injury accident.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you were involved in a slip-and-fall or a trip-and-fall accident as a result of someone else’s negligence (carelessness), please remember that you have rights. Some of the damages that victims of such accidents can claim include, but are not limited to, medical expenses, loss of wages and benefits, cost of hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, past and future pain and suffering, permanent injury, etc.
The experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. For over 49 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims.
Our law firm recovered $1,700,000 for a woman who slipped and fell and received no hospital or medical treatment for one month after the accident. Our law firm also recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com