Hurt in a Slip and Fall on a Stairway in the Winter? Our Slip and Fall Lawyers in Ardmore, PA Can Help
One of the most dangerous places to slip and fall is on a stairway. This is why Pennsylvania has extensive building codes and maintenance codes relating to stairs and stairways. But the cold and snowy winters of the northeast commonly bring hazardous conditions to our Ardmore, PA. This means exterior stairs could be coated in snow and ice, and interior stairs could have tracked in snow that melts and presents a slipping hazard. Landowners and possessors are required to keep exterior and interior stairs reasonably safe from defects. When they fail to do so, it could result in catastrophic personal injuries.
At Silver & Silver, our slip and fall lawyers in Ardmore, PA know just how catastrophic these injuries can be. Many people do not realize, but falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries and the second leading cause of spinal cord injuries. While falls disproportionately affect elderly adults, almost half of all brain injury-related emergency department visits for individuals under 18 years of age were due to falls. These types of injuries can generate high medical bills and cause significant lost wages, making paying these bills and other normal bills more difficult for a family. Learn how we can help you during a free consultation.
Landowners or Tenants Owe a Duty of Care to Others
Whether you are a customer to a business or a guest for a dinner party at a friend’s house, all landowners or tenants must keep their premises reasonably safe under the circumstances. This means ensuring that stairs and stairways are free of defects or hazardous conditions. These conditions include snow and ice accumulations on exterior stairs or melted snow on interior stairs.
Obligations with Exterior Stairs
Depending on the local municipal codes, a landowner or possessor only has a limited amount of time after a snowfall or storm to remove the snow and ice from exterior stairs. In some instances, the use of salt or a deicing agent may be required to keep the stairs reasonably safe. Other times a property owner or tenant may have to use traction aids such as coarse rock salt, sand, ash, sawdust, or another medium that affords people walking up and down the stairs with friction.
Obligations with Interior Stairs
When it comes to interior stairs during the winter months, property owners and tenants must also keep their premises in a reasonably safe condition. A store or business must perform routine inspections to keep their property reasonably safe from melted snow. This means regularly checking to ensure that no snow, water, or debris has accumulated on them. The failure to perform these inspections could result in liability if a person slips and falls on them. If there are any accumulations of melted snow or ice, a business would be required to clean the area to make it safe for customers. Warning signs of a wet floor or wet stairs should also be employed.
For other landowners or tenants hosting a social get-together, they too need to ensure that the property is reasonably safe. This includes removing or cleaning any accumulations of snow and ice, or melted snow and ice, on interior stairs. While there is no duty to inspect the premises like a store owner, homeowners or tenants must still warn of hazardous conditions and repair the damage. Although a jury may still find that a homeowner should be conducting inspections to “problem areas” to ensure there are no hazardous defects present.
Injuries from a Stairway Slip and Fall in Ardmore, PA
At Silver & Silver, our slip and fall attorneys in Ardmore, PA have handed many cases resulting in serious personal injuries or the wrongful death of an innocent person. Some of the most common types of injuries include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Broken bones
- Nerve injuries
- Shoulder separations
- Torn tendons, muscles, or ligaments
- Knee injuries
- Dislocations, including the ankle, knee, shoulder, elbow, or wrist
- Orbital blowout fractures
- Significant scarring from lacerations
- Neck or back injuries including slipped discs, annular tears, or herniations
- Wrongful death, and
- Many other types of serious personal injuries that Silver & Silver can handle for you.
Injured in a Stairway Fall During the Winter? We Can Help
Our slip and fall lawyers in Ardmore, PA have over 40 years of successfully recovering compensation for victims hurt on the property of another. This includes on winter stairways both inside or outside. We offer FREE case evaluations and can help to recover the compensation you need for pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical bills. Learn how we can help you and your family by dialing 610-638-7255 or use our secure “contact us” box available here.
