Providence Snow and Ice Injury Lawyer
Every year over 1/3 of adults falls and suffers an injury due to falling on snow or ice. Almost 20,000 will die each year as the result of these injuries, and approximately 600,000 are hospitalized. Given those statistics, virtually every Rhode Islander has suffered calamity due to snow or ice. Many of those accidents are simply that: accidents. On the other hand, a substantial proportion were due to someone else’s negligence.
What Makes These Accidents Different?
The rules for snow and ice-involved automobile related accidents are basically the same as when snow and ice is not involved. If a party does not behave as a reasonable prudent driver and that driver causes injuries as a result of his negligent, you can recover. The argument is always made by insurance companies that no one should recover when driving in the snow because it is hazardous to do so. But, the reality is that people have to get to school and work, and there is no law against doing so. The attorneys at the Resmini Law Firm in Providence have heard this argument over and over, and it always fails.
Responsibility of Property Owner
The vast majority of serious injuries arising out of snow and ice result in from what is known as “premises liability” cases. In these cases, a business whether it is a restaurant, retail space, etc. failed to maintain their premises in a safe manner for their customers. We have all seen times when ice is built up on the roof or when there is a pile of snow in front of a business. We all know the hazards that those situations can cause, whether it is ice hitting you on the head or falling due to snow. The business has a duty to clear those situations if they are going to remain open to the public. Snow and ice injuries are the ones that we joke about the most, particularly when someone falls in the street or on the sidewalk. But it is no laughing matter when people suffer broken backs or concussion due to a business failing to keep their operations safe for their customers.
Liability
Finally, there are always instances where someone is injured on another person’s private property, usually a neighbor. The degree of care required by the neighbor that is owed depends entirely on the nature of the circumstance. That is, if you were invited to your neighbor’s house, you have an entirely different status under the law than if you were showing up unannounced or if you were trespassing. The attorneys at the Resmini Law Firm would be happy to discuss the unique nature of your visit to determine whether any recovery can be had for your injuries at a private home.
Contact Us
The Resmini Law Offices is a well-respected firm completely dedicated to helping clients with their personal injury case. We are proud to have served clients in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Florida for 50 years. For more information, call us at (401) 751-8855 or toll free at 1-855-RESMINI.
