Winter weather brings added danger to the lives of Boston citizens, especially on snowy or icy days. Living in our beautiful city in the wintertime comes with some drawbacks, as anyone who has slipped and fallen on icy sidewalks can tell you. However, it is the responsibility of business owners and property caretakers to make sure their properties are as free of these hazards as possible.
Just as you clean the snow and ice off of your vehicle, sidewalks, and driveways, business owners have a responsibility to keep their public areas free from snow or other debris. Sadly, they don’t always do this to the extent necessary. A slip-or-fall can be damaging to you, causing broken bones, medical bills, lost wages, and more.
If you or your loved ones have suffered a slip-and-fall accident on a snowy Boston property, you may be eligible to receive compensation from the owners for your pain and suffering. The best way to determine whether you have a case is to get a free consultation with a lawyer who has experience.
Jason Stone Injury Lawyers has helped people just like you across the Boston metro area since 2004. Contact us today for your free consultation – we can talk over the phone, video conference, or in person. Fill out our online contact form, or give us a call at (800) 577-5188. There’s no obligation, just information ®
Proving Owners’ Responsibility
Landowners have a responsibility to keep their properties safe for visitors. Public spaces in particular, such as parking lots or malls, need to be free of slipping or tripping hazards. You have the right to feel safe when entering someone else’s property, even in the wintertime.
Boston citizens must contend with the elements during our long winters, from snow and ice to fog and slush. While most businesses use snowplows, shovels, and salt to make their walking surfaces safe, there are some who fail to do so.
According to Massachusetts law, property owners are responsible for maintaining a reasonably safe space for property visitors. Slip and fall injuries commonly occur in stores or similar public spaces, where it is especially vital for the owner and caretakers to remove dangers to the public.
Slip and Fall Personal Injury Law
The term “slip and fall” may seem pretty self-explanatory. Nevertheless, when it comes to personal injury law, there are a few requirements that must be met in order to build a solid case. If your fall matches these requirements, you may be able to seek compensation from the owner of the property where your incident occurred.
1. Proving injury and location
First, you must have been injured while on property that belongs to another person or entity. Also, you must have been there legally. Slip and fall cases commonly center around locations like malls, other shopping centers, office buildings, parking lots, and sidewalks.
2. Proving cause and lack of warning
Second, you must be able to prove that the hazard that caused your fall and injury had no warning posted about it, even though the property manager or owner should have been aware of its existence. Common examples of this include wet floors due to a plumbing issue, or, in the case of winter weather, people tracking in snow on their shoes.
3. Proving negligence
Third, it’s necessary to show that the property owner and/or manager was aware of the problem and didn’t fix it within an appropriate time. Some cases are even valid on the basis that the owner or manager should have been aware of the problem. For example, such as after a snowstorm when it should be standard practice to shovel and salt the sidewalks and plow the parking lots.
If your case can meet these three criteria, you may be able to get compensation for your medical bills and more. Find out whether or not you have a case by talking to a Boston personal injury lawyer with Jason Stone Injury Lawyers. Fill out our free and easy form or call (800) 577-5188 to get the legal help you need.
Common Injuries in Winter Slip and Fall Cases in Boston
Slip-and-fall accidents can cause a number of severe and life-altering injuries, such as:
- Broken bones
- Neck injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Muscle and tendon tears
- Severe muscle and tendon sprains
- Traumatic brain injuries
Winter-weather-related slip-and-fall incidents can be on the more extreme end of all injury cases due to the slipperiness of ice and snow and the severity of the falls that they cause.
If you’ve been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, it’s important that you seek medical treatment for your injuries as soon as possible. A doctor’s visit not only helps ensure your injuries don’t get worse, but it also produces documentation that can help prove the severity of your injuries to insurance companies.
What to Do Immediately After a Slip and Fall Injury
In the aftermath of a slip-and-fall on an icy or snowy sidewalk or a wet floor, it’s often our first instinct to try to get up and brush ourselves off and just keep going about our day. We may be embarrassed about falling in front of other people, or feel that we should have realized the surface would be slippery even without warning. However, it’s important to fight this instinct in order to protect your possible personal injury slip and fall case.
After you slip and fall, you first need to assess your immediate medical state. If something is broken or numb, it may be best to keep from moving until medical personnel get there to examine you. On the other hand, if you are able to move without much pain and get to your feet, your next vital step is to document the scene. Take photos of the area with your cell phone, including what specifically caused your incident.
After documenting the scene, it’s important to report your incident to the person in charge of the property. Depending on where your fall occurs, the property manager may have a report to fill out, and you should always ask for a copy of all paperwork related to your case.
The most important step of all is to seek the appropriate medical treatment to help you recover from your injuries. It’s important that you get checked out by a medical professional, even if you do not consider your injuries to be severe, as symptoms may get worse days or weeks after the incident. Medical documentation as close to the date of the incident as possible can help you build a strong case.
The next step in your path to recovery is to call a personal injury attorney to help you. The property owner’s insurance company will likely try to convince you to take a low settlement offer, but don’t be bullied into accepting less than the compensation you need. When Jason Stone Injury Lawyers takes on your case, we will work on your behalf and make sure that you get maximum compensation from the insurance company.
Injured Due to a Slip and Fall? Better Phone StoneSM
Winters in Boston can be beautiful but come with a risk. If you or your loved one has suffered an injury due to a slip-and-fall, rest assured that there is something you can do about it.
At Jason Stone Injury Lawyers, we pride ourselves on working hard in behalf of our clients’ rights and never giving up. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means that we only get paid if we manage to recover compensation for you. That’s part of our Stone Cold Guarantee®.
After your slip and fall injury, don’t delay – call Jason Stone Injury Lawyers for a free consultation. We will go over your information and answer your questions.
If you aren’t sure what to do after your injury, you Better Phone StoneSM. Contact us today at (800) 577-5188 to get started on your path to recovery. There’s no obligation, just information. ®