Ice Slip Claims

As the temperatures drop and adverse weather condition set in, we invariably see a dramatic rise in the number of people slipping on icy roads and pavements. Such slips often cause serious injury, with broken bones, chipped teeth and head injuries all a very real possibility.

If this has happened to you, you will understandably be feeling upset about your accident, especially if you feel another party was directly responsible. For example, you may believe the local council should have gritted the road, or that your employer compromised your health and safety. If so, you need to seek expert legal advice as soon as possible, as you could be entitled to make an ice slip claim. This means you could be awarded compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced.

Ice Slips – Who Is Responsible?

In every kind of personal injury claim, it is necessary to establish liability. Put simply, you must be able to prove that someone else was responsible for the accident. In some ice slips, blame cannot be apportioned to a specific party: indeed, the weather is beyond our control, and it is not always possible to prevent ice slips from occurring.

Nevertheless, there are occasions in which an ice slip is the direct consequence of the actions (or inaction) of a particular person or organisation. Two of the most common examples of this are ice slips on public property and ice slips at work. We will take a look at each in turn:-

Ice slips on public property

The local council has a legal duty to maintain all public highways and pavements. This means it is the council who is responsible for making roads and pavements safe in icy conditions – for example, by treating the surface with grit or clearing snow. While it is not possible to entirely prevent ice slips or even grit every single pavement and road, the council must take reasonable measures to achieve these aims. If there is a failure to do so and a member of the public suffers injury, the local council could be held liable.
Ice slips at work

An employer is legally obliged to protect the health and safety of his/her staff. This means that should the weather conditions threaten the welfare of employees, reasonably practicable steps must be taken to reduce the risks. These measures will be tailored to the situation, but may include providing employees with special shoes or clothes, gritting surfaces or temporarily suspending certain tasks from being carried out.

Claiming Compensation For An Ice Slip

If another party is to blame for your ice slip, you will be entitled to claim compensation for the injuries you sustained. To discover whether this applies to you, simply contact McKay Norwell and speak to one of our expert personal injury lawyers. After a short consultation, we will be able to use our professional expertise to suggest whether you are in a position to claim. If so, we can help you begin the claims process, guiding you through each stage until you obtain the compensation you rightfully deserve.

Simply call us for a free assessment immediately on 0131 222 8000 or complete the enquiry form on the right of this page and we will be delighted to help you.