It’s On You: Keeping Your Sidewalks Clear To Prevent A New Haven Slip And Fall Accident

One of the things that many people forget is that they need to keep their sidewalks clear during the winter months.  It can be a hassle if someone is walking down the sidewalk and comes to your home and they either have to trudge through snow, walk gingerly across the ice or worse yet, step out into the road to pass your home.  This type of negligence may lead to a New Haven slip and fall accident and can truly be prevented.

Before the dead of winter hits you should be prepared to be able to keep your sidewalks safe for all that pass by and you can make a couple of pre-winter purchases that will help you clear your sidewalks and avoid any incidents during the winter months.

Start by purchasing a good shovel.  If you don’t have much of a driveway and just need to worry about your sidewalks, a shovel will do the trick.  Even when there is a tremendous amount of snow, you can take your time and easily clear your sidewalks with a good shovel.  If you have a big area that includes a sidewalk and a driveway you may want to consider investing in a snow blower so you can keep yourself healthy and your sidewalks clear.

Visibility stakes.  You may have passed by a home and seen flexible orange stakes that stick up out of the ground and are high enough that even when the snow comes they can seen sticking out of the top of the snow.  These stakes help identify where the sidewalk or driveway ends and the grass or yard begins.  These are truly necessary if you rely on someone to plow your driveway or sidewalk, but can also be important markers for pedestrians so they know where the sidewalk is if you have not gotten to clearing it off.

Ice melt.  Having a large bag of ice melt on hand will help you clear thin layers of ice that may remain persistent throughout the winter months.  Just because you have cleared the snow away doesn’t mean that ice may not persist and therefore need to be cleared away.  If you fail to do this step you may be leaving the door open for someone to experience a New Haven slip and fall accident.

Spending a few minutes and a few dollars to get yourself prepared for the upcoming winter months may save you headaches and a LOT of dollars in the event that someone has an accident along your stretch of sidewalk.  It’s important to not only prepare, but also keep an eye on your sidewalks all season long.

If you’ve been injured on an icy or snowy sidewalk you can contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will review your case.  We will work with you to help protect your long-term interests.