Virginia Icy Sidewalk Injury Lawyer
Injury cases involving snow and ice can be complicated. Property owners have some responsibility to people who visit their land, and a Virginia icy sidewalk injury lawyer can help you determine whether the property owner may be liable for losses that you suffered after an icy sidewalk accident. If you believe you have a case for compensation consult with a premises liability lawyer in Virginia today.
How a Virginia Icy Sidewalk Injury Lawyer Can Help
While property owners owe a certain duty of care to visitors, they are not required to guarantee safety. Snow and ice cases are complicated because a plaintiff seeking compensation for injuries will normally need to show that the property owner was negligent in creating the conditions that led to a fall. Merely slipping on ice is not going to be enough to get compensation after a fall injury- you need to show the property owner was somehow responsible.
A Virginia icy sidewalk injury lawyer will know the case law and the legal rules related to snow and ice accidents and can help you put together a strong case based on the circumstances of your fall.
Your attorney can help you to decide against whom to pursue legal action, can assist in settlement negotiations, and can present evidence about your fall injuries to a judge or jury. When slips on icy public sidewalks or in other public places happen, your attorney can also assist in following the special rules associated with pursuing a claim against the government.
Your Rights After a Slip and Fall
Under certain circumstances, courts have allowed plaintiffs to recover compensation after falls on icy sidewalks as well as on icy porches, parking lots, and other outdoor spaces. This is especially true if the property owner does something that causes or contributes to the icy conditions, like allowing water to pool in parking lots that freezes or partially but not fully clearing the walkway. Stores that choose to remain open during adverse weather and encourage visitors to park in parking lots and use sidewalks may also be responsible if those lots and sidewalks are not properly cleared.
There are, however, limitations on a property owner’s obligation to clear a sidewalk. In Amos v. Nations Bank, 256 Va. 344 (1998), for example, the Virginia Supreme Court found that a property owner may wait until a storm is over and a reasonable time has passed before removing snow and ice from walkways and other areas on property.
Property owners may try to argue that it wasn’t reasonable to expect them to have cleared the sidewalk or may try to argue that you assumed the risk of walking on the icy area. Your Virginia icy sidewalk injury lawyer can help you evaluate the relative strength of your case and consider potential defenses so that you can build a strong case to seek compensation for your injuries and other harms and losses.
Getting Help from a Virginia Icy Sidewalk Injury Lawyer
A Virginia icy sidewalk injury lawyer will work hard to help you fight for the compensation you need after a fall on a slippery sidewalk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls are the leading cause of brain injury and the Mayo Clinic lists falls as the cause of 1/4 of annual spinal cord injuries. Injuries caused by falls on icy sidewalks can be more serious than a fall in the same location might be without the presence of ice. Injuries can change your life and you deserve the compensation that Virginia law provides if a property owner negligent left a sidewalk icy and caused you harm. Call an injury lawyer today to learn more.
