Slips and Falls Involving Snow or Ice in New Jersey

The colder months of the year often bring plenty of precipitation. In fact, some parts of New Jersey see anywhere from 40 to 50 inches of snowfall over the course of an average year, and even areas that do not get nearly as much snow often still experience hail, sleet, freezing rain, and various other wintery mixes that make walking and driving exceptionally treacherous.

If you were recently hurt through a slip and fall involving snow or ice in New Jersey, you may have lots of questions about what rights you have to pursue civil litigation and what kind of compensation you may be able to obtain for your injuries. In addition to providing the answers and information you need in the short term, a seasoned slip and fall lawyer from Garces, Grabler, & LeBrocq could help you build the strongest civil claim possible in order to get you the restitution you need in the long term.

Do Landowners Have a Duty to Clean Up Snow and Ice?

Landowners in the Garden State are not automatically legally liable for every injury that happens on their property. In fact, they may not even be liable for every slip and fall that involves snow or ice in New Jersey—for example, if the ice built up overnight during an unexpected storm and they did not have a chance to address it before opening their store for the day.

However, property owners are expected to keep their land in a reasonably safe condition for lawful visitors, which means cleaning up or cordoning off hazardous conditions as soon as they discover them, as well as warning visitors about hazards they have yet to fix. With that in mind, a landowner who knew—or reasonably should have known—a wintery storm was coming and failed to treat their sidewalk with salt in advance, clean up ice first thing in the morning, or warn visitors about a possible slipping hazard may be legally liable for any injuries caused by ice buildup on their land.

Avoiding Legal Obstacles to Civil Recovery

People who get hurt from slipping and falling on snow or ice in New Jersey are not immune from being found negligent themselves in relation to their accident—for example, if they ran at an unsafe speed over a surface they should have known could potentially be iced over. In this kind of scenario, a court could assign that injured person a percentage of comparative fault for their own injuries.

In accordance with New Jersey Revised Statutes § 2A:15-5-1, the court could reduce the value of the injured person’s damage award or even dismiss their case altogether based on that percentage. A skilled legal professional could provide vital help with contesting allegations along these lines, as well as with building and filing the strongest possible claim within the two-year filing deadline set by N.J.R.S. § 2A:14-2.

Talk to a New Jersey Attorney About Lawsuits Over Slips and Falls Involving Snow or Ice

Suddenly losing your footing and falling on a patch of ice can be a harrowing experience, even if the only injury you end up suffering is a bruised ego. In many situations, though, slips and falls involving snow or ice in New Jersey cause serious injuries with long-lasting negative effects. Without support from capable legal counsel, you may have little chance of making the person at fault for your accident pay for the harm it caused you.

Guidance from a practiced slip and fall lawyer could make a world of difference in how effectively you can enforce your rights after this sort of incident. Call Garces, Grabler, & LeBrocq today for a confidential consultation.