As snow storms continue to hit New York City, officials are warning property owners/managers that they must clear their sidewalks of snow and ice to avoid penalties and to prevent serious slip and fall accidents. According to CBS New York, the city’s sanitation department has been out this winter issuing fines to property owners/managers who are not clearing sidewalks of snow and ice, which leaves these walkways icy, slippery and dangerous for pedestrians.
For example, on just one day in January, from 8 a.m. to midnight, the city issued 2,034 summonses to property owners/managers for failure to clear snow and ice on sidewalks compared to the city’s snowstorm in February 2022, when only 668 summonses were written. One pedestrian interviewed by CBS said she had slipped and fallen on the icy sidewalks twice that day.
These types of hazards are prompting city officials to enforce the law in an effort to curb it. Property owners/managers who fail to clear their sidewalks are fined $100 for the first offense, $150 for the second and $250 for every time after that. City officials are also telling property owners/managers not to push snow and ice on to the street, in bike lanes or on crosswalks. The city is also urging New Yorkers to call 311 if they see snow or ice on a sidewalk.
New York City Snow Removal Laws
In New York City, property owners/managers are required to promptly clear snow and ice from the sidewalks bordering their premises to ensure pedestrian safety and accessibility. According to local laws, property owners/managers bear the responsibility of maintaining clear pathways within a specified timeframe following the cessation of snowfall. Typically, property owners/managers are required to clear sidewalks within four hours after daylight snowfall concludes and by 11 a.m. if snowfall occurred overnight. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in fines imposed by the city, the severity of which may vary depending on the frequency and severity of the violation.
Aside from sidewalks, property owners/managers are encouraged to clear snow and ice from fire hydrants and crosswalks, ensuring unimpeded access for emergency services and pedestrians. Additionally, the laws require property owners/managers to clear ramps, curb cuts, and other places to maintain accessibility in consideration for individuals with disabilities.
Liability Issues
In New York City, property owners and/or managers can be held liable for injuries resulting from slipping on ice or snow if it is determined that they were negligent (careless) in maintaining safe conditions on their premises. Under New York’s premises liability laws, property owners/managers have a duty to exercise reasonable care in ensuring that their property is safe for visitors and pedestrians. This duty includes taking measures to prevent ice and snow accumulation and promptly removing any ice or snow that forms.
If a victim slips on ice or snow and suffers injuries on a property, they may pursue a premises liability claim against the property owner/manager. Such claims typically involve proving that the property owner/manager knew or should have known about the hazardous condition (the ice or snow), failed to take appropriate action to address it, and that this negligence (carelessness) directly caused the injuries sustained by the individual slipping on the ice or snow.
New York Premises Liability Lawyers
Slipping and falling on ice or snow can result in serious, disabling or even life threatening injuries. 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 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 52 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 $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, 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, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy 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.
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Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-city-sidewalks-snow-fines/