Icy weather will hit Ohio soon. Even if you’ve spent your whole life navigating icy winter and fall sidewalks, it never hurts to brush up on accident prevention tips.
Slip-and-fall accidents and other personal injuries can occur when sidewalks are deceptively slick. It’s not always obvious when you’re stepping on wet ground, and when it has frozen over into a tripping hazard. Unfortunately, even simple falls can have long-lasting consequences.
Every year, the CDC reports, over three million adults aged 65 and older are treated for falls. One out of five can cause serious injury, like broken bones or head injury. They’re also the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries. While not all of these falls are due to icy pathways and sidewalks, it’s important everyone is aware of the increased danger. Anyone can be hurt, regardless of age, but the elderly are especially vulnerable.
If you’ve been hurt by slipping and falling on an icy sidewalk, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact a personal injury attorney right away—and follow these tips to prevent further injuries.
- Stay on the path: Always stay on designated pathways and sidewalks. They’re more likely to have been salted recently, reducing the possibility that ice has formed.
- Assume all “wet” patches are ice: Watch where you’re going—you might even want to keep a flashlight on you. Look at the ground, and assume all dark or “wet” patches are ice.
- Use railings: Whenever possible, hold on to hand or guard rails. These can help break your fall if you accidentally slip.
- Keep your hands out of pockets: Putting your hands in your pockets can change your center of gravity. They also make it difficult to get your hands free and break your fall if you’re caught off-guard.
- Take short, careful steps: Treat winter sidewalks like you would treat a pool: walk, don’t run. Take short, careful steps and give yourself breaks. If you step on an icy patch, it’s much easier to break the momentum when walking slowly.
- Use your arms for balance: Like ice skating, there’s some value in extending your arms out to the side for balance when walking. If you slip on ice, you may be able to counterbalance and right yourself, before you fall.
Don’t forget to salt, sand or otherwise remove ice and snow from your own property. The fewer accidents that occur, the better.
Discuss Your Case with an Ohio Slip and Fall Lawyer
Winter weather can cause terrible accidents. Were you injured as a result of someone else’s negligence? Tell me about your case, and I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call me today at 877.944.4373 for a consultation.
