Autumn Leaves Cause Slip And Fall Accidents
Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry Cochran
As summer gives way to Autumn, new hazards find their way into our lives, including falling leaves, which can wreak havoc, particularly when it comes to slips and falls.
Glancing outside, trees begin to shed their greenery, turning their leaves to reds, golds, and browns. Soon, these will be falling to the ground and potentially creating risks to pedestrians and drivers in the ordinary course of their day. So, how can you avoid falling victim to such risks?
Weather Conditions
Various weather conditions, such as high winds, can carry leaves to unexpected areas, like porches, balconies, sidewalks, and parking lots. Foot traffic can track these leaves into businesses, where wet floors become an additional hazard.
Dry leaves cause a slip and fall danger, but even more caution needs to be taken in wet weather. As fallen leaves accumulate and become wet, you are more susceptible to slips and falls, causing injuries that may lead to lost wages and unexpected medical bills. If so, you may have the grounds for a personal injury case and should consider seeking legal advice from a personal injury lawyer.
Hazardous Conditions
As leaves land on roadways and rain falls, they become hazardous not just to those walking, but also those driving. It only takes a few small moves to cause a car or truck to go into a slide that many cannot recover from.
Other hazardous conditions include storm drains being clogged with layers of leaves, leading to flooding. This presents even more risk for a slip and fall injury.
Where Does Liability Lie?
Property owners are expected to maintain their yards, and raking leaves is an essential piece of that responsibility. If visitors slip while walking on a driveway or up the front porch steps, the owner may be liable for their injuries. This also applies to business property owners who fail to maintain their property safely by removing unwanted leaves.
Public spaces require diligence to avoid slip and fall accidents from occurring. Whether it be a store, restaurant, or other service-oriented business, keeping front and back door areas free of hazards is the business owner’s responsibility. Keeping parking lots clear is also their responsibility. During the Autumn season, this requires a constant check on leaves that make their way into these areas.
To bring a case against a property or business owner, you must be able to prove he or she was aware, or in some way should have been aware of the hazardous leaves and their potential to cause a slip and fall. The property owner must also have had a reasonable amount of time to take care of the hazard but did not.
Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Michigan is three years from the date of the incident. It is essential to file your claim as soon as possible because it can take several years for the claim to move through civil court.
Additionally, your personal injury lawyer wants time to investigate your claim thoroughly and gather eyewitness testimony, photographs of the scene, and any available camera footage. All of these items can help boost your claim when you are injured in a slip, trip or fall, so you can receive the compensation you deserve.
Final Word
Proving liability can be a challenge, and the sooner you call us to begin your claim, we can get to work gathering evidence to prove negligence by the property owner, business, city or state.
For expertise surrounding slip and fall cases involving wet leaves, or any general information about a slip, trip or fall, contact our expert team of personal injury attorneys at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. in Michigan for a free consultation. If you have suffered an injury in slip and fall accidents, we can provide formal legal advice and help you determine the next steps to take. Give us a call at 866-MICH-LAW today.
Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.
