Winter weather brings additional risks for slip and fall injuries. As a homeowner, it’s important to know your legal responsibility and ways to prevent others from being injured. If someone falls on your property, you may be at fault and held liable if preventative measures were not taken. Victims of these accidents can experience anything from minor cuts and bruises to broken bones and other serious injuries.
Dale E. Anstine’s personal injury attorneys specialize in slip and fall injury cases and are sharing winter safety tips that every homeowner should know this winter.
Winter Safety Tips for Homeowners
- Remove ice and snow from your property in a timely manner. Reference your municipality’s ordinances for ice and snow removal, and be conscious about the amount of time allotted to fulfill this responsibility.
- Remove ice and snow from sidewalks – this is assumed as part of your property and is worth noting specifically to ensure sidewalks are not forgotten. These public walkways are frequented even in winter months, especially by pet owners and children walking to and from bus stops.
- Keep winter salt treatment on hand so it’s readily available before the anticipated weather arrives. Pour the salt especially on areas that are likely to receive foot traffic by others.
- Be aware of any potential safety hazards that may be hidden by snowfall, such as yard toys, equipment, metal stakes, etc. Know if and where these are on your property, so you remember to make these hazards clearly visible in all weather conditions.
- Tape off any hazardous areas that may be under construction. Areas of your property that are in the process of home improvement or repair often include unexpected debris and materials that can result in injuries. Additionally, these areas may not be in a condition to be properly cleared of ice and snow.
- Provide adequate lighting on your property after dusk. Remember to turn your outside or front porch lights on when it is dark, so others can better see the surface outside your property that they may be walking on.
- Keep these tips in mind throughout the winter season to decrease the likelihood of someone being injured on your property. Help keep you, others and your home as safe as possible.
If you are a victim of a slip and fall accident, reach out to the specialized personal injury attorneys at Dale E. Anstine. Our team is proud to protect the injured across the Central PA community, with offices in York and Gettysburg. Consultations are always free, we are available 24/7, and there’s no fee unless we win for you.