Do you love the autumn leaves? The peak season for gorgeous fall foliage in Connecticut is somewhere between Oct. 5 and Nov. 8, which means this is the perfect time to take a stroll around town and look at the local color.
Unfortunately, all those beautiful leaves can create some serious slip-and-fall hazards for the unwary. The closer it gets to winter, the more likely that those leaves will be wet, decayed or even hiding a bit of ice — especially on cold mornings or after nightfall when the temperatures drop.
If you fall on wet leaves in a parking lot or on someone’s sidewalk, is anybody liable for your injuries? Maybe.
Premises liability laws can be complicated, especially where seasonal hazards are concerned. On one hand, people are expected to exercise reasonable amounts of caution when they’re walking through obvious hazards — like fallen leaves, ice and snow. There’s also only so much that property owners can do about natural elements. A property owner can’t stop the leaves from falling or snow from coming down through the day or night.
On the other hand, property owners do have a certain responsibility to keep their property reasonably safe for visitors and guests. If you’re injured after tripping over a pothole in a parking lot that was obscured by an accumulation of leaves or you slip on leaves that a property owner swept onto the sidewalk and left there, you may very well have a legitimate claim for compensation.
A slip-and-fall accident can leave you with broken bones, traumatic brain injuries and sometimes permanent consequences. If you’re injured, find out more about your rights and options by speaking with a North Haven attorney.