Slip and Fall on Ice & Snow Settlement in Flint Area
With winter finally ending, we Michiganders are looking forward to warmer weather an no more snow and ice on our streets, sidewalks, and parking lots. In addition to the winter weather conditions just being miserable at times, the snow and ice conditions pose significant safety risks to people in our state. My law office was chosen by a number of injury victims to represent them in cases involving slip and fall accidents due to snow and icy conditions. The injuries in these cases are often very severe and include broken bones, fractured hips, and closed head injuries.
Under Michigan law, there are circumstances in which a property owner has a legal duty to minimize the potential harms of snow and ice to others who are visiting the property or invited onto the property. When it comes to apartment complexes, the apartment complex owners and management companies have a duty to plow the snow and salt the ice within a reasonable period after it accumulates on steps, sidewalks, and parking lots. The goal is to protect the safety of apartment complex residents and their guests.
We recently settled a case for a woman who slipped and fell on ice in a Flint area apartment complex. She suffered a serious ankle injury that required surgery. She fell on a parking lot that was icy and had snow covering the ice so that she could not fully appreciate the dangerous condition below the snow. A claim was made against the apartment complex owners for failing to clear away the snow and for failing to salt areas with icy conditions. The case was settled with the insurance company before a lawsuit was even filed.
The facts of every case are different but the Michigan public should be aware that they may have the legal right to compensation in cases where serious injuries are caused due to slip and falls on ice and snow. It is essential to contact an experienced lawyer who regularly handles slip and fall cases because there are a number of legal issues that must be properly assessed in the handling of the claim. Fortunately, winter is almost over and we can all be safe from these hazards for quite some time.
