For some Pennsylvania residents, winter is a beloved time of year. For others, it may seem dreadful to have to go out into the cold and wintry conditions. While snow may seem nice when you can observe it from the warmth and comfort of your home, it can become hazardous if you have to get out. Even if no snow is present, icy conditions might be.
Though you may already know that driving in winter conditions can be dangerous, you may also want to keep in mind that walking on snowy or icy surfaces can also present serious hazards. You could easily slip and fall when walking on sidewalks or another area that has not been cleared or properly maintained as far as addressing icy hazards.
Anyone could fall
No matter your age, you could easily slip and fall during the winter months due to conditions on the ground or even inside stores. For instance, if a retail location does not have mats to dry off patrons’ shoes, people could track snow or water across entryways that pose a slip hazard for those entering. Most business property owners and operators are also responsible for ensuring that the walkways outside the front of their locations are free from such hazards as well.
You could feel confident walking into a store only to find yourself suddenly losing traction and falling down due to a lack of prevention measures. While your immediate response may be to feel embarrassed, serious injuries could also result from such an event.
Steps to take after a fall
Though you may want to spring back up from a fall as quickly as possible in hopes of fewer people seeing you, that is not always the best course of action. You first need to assess yourself to determine whether you may have suffered an injury. Even if nothing seems immediately painful, if you struck your head or landed at an unnatural angle, you may have suffered an injury. This could also happen if you attempt to catch yourself during the fall and land awkwardly on your arm or hand.
If you believe that you are able to get up, carefully roll to the side, use your arms to push up and then use your legs to stand. If someone tries to help you up, remain cautious so that neither of you ends up falling. If you cannot get up, have someone call emergency services so that medical professionals can assess any injuries and transport you to the hospital as needed.
Suffering injuries
Unfortunately, slip-and-fall accidents can lead to serious injuries in some cases. If you have suffered injuries in such an event, you may wonder whether other parties could be liable for your injuries due to not taking precautions to prevent a slip and fall. In efforts to determine whether you may have reason to file a personal injury claim, you may want to discuss your situation with an attorney.