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It just takes a minute to change your life forever. One minute you are walking on the sidewalk and the next moment your foot slips over the snow and slushy ice. You hurt your back, or maybe even strike your head on the sidewalk. Thousands of people suffer with slip and fall injuries and statistics show that over 70% of the injuries happen to people over fifty years and older. With age, the intensity of injuries increases while the healing takes longer. Some of the sustained injuries include:
- Fractured hips and ribs
- Dislocated joints
- Brain and spinal injuries
- Bruises and cuts
Slow recovery leads to increased medical costs, longer recuperation and in some cases, additional infections leads to fatalities. Any fall results in injuries and to cover for physical and mental trauma, it is important that you consult a personal injury lawyer in the designated city in Ontario. If you slip on someone else’s property, that business or homeowner is liable for the damage.
More about ‘Burden of Care’
That is why property owners have ‘burden of care’ that they must do everything in their power to prevent such happenings. This becomes an essential requirement to prevent such accidents happening on their property. Thus, shoveling and clearing snow from the driveways breaking up ice, putting sand and salt are just some of the requirements to ensure that slip and fall injuries can be prevented. Most of the municipalities have additional bylaws that require the homeowners to keep the public paths and sidewalks along their properties cleared of snow.
If you are inured due to a slip and fall injury in the winters on public property it is important to contact a lawyer immediately for redressals. As per the Statute of Limitations, for injuries sustained on private property are two years and the Ontario municipality that has been involved has to be informed, in writing within 10 days. This has to be done quickly so that the investigations can be done quickly. After that you have about 2-year period to file a lawsuit, but if you don’t send in the notification, most likely the claim will be dismissed.
Prevention is essential
The best means of dealing with slip and fall on the sidewalks and public or private property during winters is prevention. This means that property owners and municipality will need to clear the sidewalks and roads clear of the snow and ice, so there is no chance of slipping. When snow is left on the open ground, it packs down and becomes ice over a day or two. That is why it is necessary to remove it immediately.
To ensure that as a pedestrian you don’t get injured in accidental falls by being aware of your surroundings and choosing the right footwear. And when you do fall by accident, it is best to call in a personal injury lawyer to file the claim for compensation.