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“Injured from a fall on a property you do not own? Very serious injuries can occur due to falls on snow and ice. The law requires property owners to be diligent in maintaining their property. If you have been injured due to falls on snow and ice, especially as a tenant or a customer, it is important that you contact BWP immediately. Do NOT call and give a statement to the insurance company first, as there are important legal and procedural obligations that must be met. The insurance companies will not help in meeting those legal requirements.”
Snow, Ice and Slippery Conditions Westbrook, CT Lawyers
New England’s winter can be brutal with sub-freezing temperatures and snowfall often measured in feet. Furthermore, the climate is changing and winter storms in Connecticut have become increasingly unpredictable. According to Climate Central’s recent study, winters in New England have gotten warmer, but also snowier. Sidewalks, parking lots and stairs are frequently covered in snow and ice. As such, snow and ice slip and falls are inevitable and can result in serious injuries
Source: NECN
Very serious injuries can occur due to falls on snow and ice, for example, a hip fracture that requires hospitalization, rehab, or in-home care. The law requires property owners to be diligent in maintaining their property. If you have been injured on property you do not own due to falls on snow and ice, especially as a tenant or a customer, it is important that you contact BWP immediately. Do NOT call and give a statement to the insurance company first, as there are important legal and procedural obligations that must be met. The insurance companies will not help in meeting those legal requirements.The insurance company does not want to help and there are technical issues to these cases that should be handled by an experienced attorney.
Buckley Wynne & Parese is focused on representing individuals injured by the negligence and wrongdoing of others in Westbrook, especially those injured as a result of snow and ice. We understand that injuries sustained as a result of slip and falls on snow and ice in Westbrook can have a traumatic and profound effect on one’s family. Our attorneys and staff are dedicated to assisting you and your family. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.
Winters in Connecticut- Things to Do
Holiday Light Displays: Fantasy of Lights at Lighthouse Park (New Haven); Festival of Lights Old Mysitc; Festival of Silver Lights (Meriden); Northern Lights Limited (Thomaston); Holiday Dazzle Light Parade (Putnam); Holiday Light Fantasia (Hartford); Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce (Bristol); Winterfest & Tunnel of Lights (East Windsor); Worldwide Community Lights Celebration (Norwalk);
Ice Climbing: Beacon Falls; Haddam Ice; Peoples State Forest Park (Barkhamsted)
Ski & Snowboard: Mohawk Mountain (Cornwall); Mount Southington; Ski Sundown (New Hartford); Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort- Tubing Too! (Middlefield)
Outdoor Skating Rinks: Bushnell Park- Winterfest (Hartford): Eastbury Pond (Glastonbury); Simsbury Farms; Straton Brook State Park (Simsbury); Walton Pond (Farmington); Westport P.A.L. Rink; Williams Park (Glastonbury)
Snowmobiling Destinations: Peoples State Forest (Barkhamsted); Housantonic State Forest; Pachaug State Forest; Pootatuck State Forest; Shenipsit State Park
Snowshoeing Trails: Day Pond State Park/ Salmon Rber State Forest Loop (Colchester); McLean Game Refuge (Granby); Mount Aldo and Indian Rock (Kent); Mianus River Park (Stamford); Mount Tom State Park (Litchfield); Naugatuck Trail; Rock Spring Preserve (Scotland); Sharon Audubon Center; Sunny valley Preservation (New Milford)
Winter Wine Trail: Visit all 14 Wineries Open During the Winter- Bishop’s Orchards (Guilford); Brignole (East Granby); DiGrazia (Brookfield); Gouveia (Wallingford); Haight-Brown (Litchfield); Hopkins (Warren); Jonathan Edwards (North Stonington); Maule Sierra (Ledyard); Miranda (Goshen); Paradise Hills (Wallingford); Priam (Colchester); Sharpe Hill Pomfret); Sunset Meadow (Goshen); Taylor Brooke (Woodstock)
Snow & Ice Laws in Connecticut
Injuries and losses as a result of snow and ice can occur on any sidewalk, stair or parking lot in Westbrook. Determining and proving the responsible party is often complicated as there is often shared responsibility and contracts among landlords, tenants and snow removal contractors. We encourage you to call our office today for a free consultation to discuss your options in further detail. It is important to view, inspect and retain information regarding the cause, footing, weather and multiple additional issues.
What to Do if You’ve Been Injured in a Slip and Fall on Snow and Ice in Westbrook, CT
STEP 1: Seek Medical Treatment
STEP 2: Report the Accident
STEP 3: Contact Buckley Wynne & Parese
A thorough investigation of the details of your snow and ice slip and fall is absolutely critical.
Some of the Ways in Which BWP Will Help with the Investigation
- Obtain the Name(s) of the Property Owner
- Determine the Responsible Party for Snow and Ice Removal
- Secure the Proper Weather Documentation and Written Documentation
- Gather the Names and Contact Information of Potential Witnesses
- Take Photos and Videos of the Scene and its Snow and Ice Condition
Ways in Which You Can Help
- Save and Preserve the Clothing and Footwear you were Wearing
- Avoid Making Any Statements
- Take Photos of your Injuries
- Don’t Post Any Relevant Information to Social Media
Contact Buckley Wynne & Parese
The damages and losses for slip and fall accidents in Westbrook, particularly those involving snow and ice can be significant. Litigation is complex and it is important that you contact us as soon as possible.
Some Areas in Which BWP Will Help You Recover
- Medical and Financial Costs and Burdens
- Lost Wages and Impaired Earnings
- Non-Economic Damages (Including Pain, Anguish, Mental Suffering, Permanent Injury)
- Out of Pocket or Miscellaneous Expenses
For over 140 years, the attorneys at Buckley Wynne & Parese have been fully dedicated to assisting Westbrook families who were injured in a slip and falls on ice and snow. We endeavor to focus all of our experience, attention and resources to help you and your family get back on your feet.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Your legal fees are paid on a contingency fee basis unless otherwise specified. That means that we are not paid unless we recover compensation for you.
An owner of property has a duty to protect members of the public from injury that may occur upon the property. The injured person may be able to recover money for those injuries if he or she can prove that the property owner failed to meet that duty. The hurdle plaintiffs face is that the nature and extent of the property owner’s duty will vary depending upon the facts of the situation and the jurisdiction in question.
The status of the injured visitor is important. There are three separate categories: invitee, licensee, and trespasser. An invitee is someone who has been invited onto the land because that person will confer some advantage to the property owner, such as a store patron. An owner of property is required to exercise reasonable care for the safety of the invitee. A licensee is someone who enters upon the land for his or her own purpose, and is present at the consent, but not the invitation, of the owner. For example, a door-to-door salesman who enters the property and stays to chat with the owner about the product that he is selling is a licensee. The owner’s duty to a licensee is only to warn of hidden dangers. For example, if the owner knew the front step was rotten and did not warn the salesman, the salesman may be able to recover if he thereafter falls through the step and injures himself. Finally, a trespasser is an individual who enters onto the property without the knowledge or consent of the owner and who remains there without any right or permission. Trespassers have difficulty suing property owners because property owners’ duty towards trespassers is not to place traps and hazards on their property. In some cases, the owner must also warn trespassers of the hazards if they are unlikely to be discovered by the trespasser and could cause serious injury or death.
A slip and fall action is a type of personal injury lawsuit filed by a plaintiff who has been injured by a slip and fall, usually on the defendant’s property. Examples of very common slip and fall plaintiffs include the grocery store patron who slips on a spill or a piece of food laying on the floor, and falls, causing injury to himself; and a hotel guest who slips in the shower and injures her back in the process.
The plaintiff in slip and fall cases must usually show that the owner of the property had notice or knowledge of the condition, and failed to clean it up and rectify it within a reasonable amount of time. If the plaintiff slipped on a grape that had been lying on the floor for two hours, and the manager of the store had walked past it and inspected it five times before asking someone to clean it up, liability is likely.
If the plaintiff has knowingly encountered a hazard, then he or she may have trouble holding the defendant liable. For example, if a hotel guest squirts baby oil onto the floor of the shower; steps into the shower and attempts to do the jitterbug; and then falls and breaks an ankle, liability on the part of the hotel is highly questionable. However, if the cleaning staff in the hotel repeatedly tells management that the non-skid treads in the bathtub for room 212 are missing and the hotel fails to replace them, the hotel may be liable for damages to a guest who is injured.
The Latest News
Buckley Wynne & Parese Recognized in “Best Law Firms” 2025 Rankings as Top Tier Law Firm
Posted on Nov 07, 2024
Buckley Wynne & Parese is pleased to announce that Best Lawyers has nationally ranked the firm in the 15th edition of the U.S. News-Best Lawyers® 2025 publication. The New Haven based law firm was listed among the top metropolitan tier in the “Best Law Firms” awards list for the practice area of personal injury litigation.
Not reporting a potential insurance claim could be expensive
Posted on Oct 15, 2024
Trying to keep your insurance premium from increasing if you report a claim? That decision could end up being even more costly.
Attorney John F. Buckley Celebrated in the 31st Edition of The Best Lawyers in America
Posted on Aug 15, 2024
This year's inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2025 particularly commendable, as Best Lawyers conducted a comprehensive peer-review survey with over 13.7 million confidential evaluations. Out of nearly 25,000 voters, Attorney Buckley emerged as a clear leader in his domain. Such an accolade is indicative of the respect and admiration he holds among his peers and underscores his stellar reputation in the industry.
