The season of icy sidewalks and walkways is upon us, Philadelphia. Even the most seasoned of northerners need to remain constantly vigilant in the winter months to be aware of such hazards and to take swift action in addressing such a hazard on their property. Unfortunately, property owners are not always as diligent as they should be in addressing the icy sidewalks and walkways they are responsible for maintaining. As a result, many are injured in icy sidewalk slip and falls.
Icy Sidewalk Slip and Falls
Icy sidewalks are, in and of themselves, a hazard. There is then the secondary danger of ice being brought inside after walking through the ice outside. This leaves puddles and slick surfaces inside which can be very dangerous as it greatly increases the likelihood of a visitor on the property being injured in a slip and fall. As such, property owners, who should be aware of the icy conditions, must take proper steps to remedy these dangers and keep property visitors safe from slip and fall harm.
Reasonable measures to remedy dangerous, icy sidewalks and their secondary effects will include things like promptly shoveling snow from sidewalks. It will also likely include things like salting the sidewalks. Inside the property, puddles brought in from the icy conditions outside should be mopped up promptly and wet floor signs posted accordingly to make patrons and visitors aware that the floor is slick and extra caution should be taken.
Falls caused by icy sidewalks can lead to serious injury. It is common for victims to be left with broken bones as different areas of the body carry the full force of impact in the fall. Oftentimes, hips are broken in such accidents as that is the area of the body a person is likely to land on. Wrists are also susceptible to breaking in slip and falls as a person reaches out to brace for the impact of the fall. Bone breaks and fractures are not only extremely painful, but often require careful and intensive follow-up care to ensure the bone properly heals.
Icy sidewalk slip and fall victims may also sustain head injuries and even traumatic brain injuries. In such accidents, a person may hit their head or the brain will be jolted without any direct impact at all. In either case, a traumatic brain injury may be sustained as a result. Traumatic brain injuries are serious in and of themselves and go undiagnosed all too often. Unfortunately, secondary injuries can be even more dangerous than the initial trauma to the brain. This is why if you have been in a slip and fall or other types of accident it can be so critical for you to be fully evaluated by a medical professional.
Slip and fall victims can sustain a wide range of serious injuries that leave them in pain, with significant medical bills, and causing them to lose income from missing work. In bringing a claim against the property owner for slip and fall injuries, the injury victim can seek compensation for the losses they have sustained as a result of the harm suffered due to the property owner’s negligence in failing to safely maintain their property.
Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorneys
Philadelphia, be careful out there this winter. If you have been injured in an icy sidewalk slip and fall, do not delay in reaching out to our personal injury team at Cooper, Schall & Levy. Contact us today.
