For many years, Massachusetts Slip and Fall Accidents caused by snow and ice that resulted in a lawsuit being filed were weighed considering the distinction between natural and unnatural accumulations of the precipitation.
This distinction, known as the “Massachusetts Rule”, established that property owners could not be held responsible for injuries caused by a slip and fall accident resulting from a natural accumulation of snow or ice. Property owners were held liable though, for unnatural accumulations, such as piles of shoveled snow or ice caused by water flow from gutters.
This rule was changed though by the case of Papadopoulos v. Target Corporation. The case claimed the plaintiff was injured when he slipped and fell on a patch of ice in a parking lot outside of a Target store in Danvers. After hearing the case, the court ruled there should be no distinction between natural and unnatural accumulations, as property owners should be held equally accountable for keeping visitors safe from harm.
Now property owners must practice a reasonable care standard when clearing snow or ice from their property. What constitutes this reasonable care is determined on a case-by-case basis. Slipping and falling on business property usually means a personal injury case.
The Massachusetts Personal Injury Attorneys with Jason Stone Injury Lawyers have been recognized for successfully handling slip and fall litigation in the past. That’s why the firm urges anyone who has been injured in a slip and fall accident to discuss their legal rights with a qualified attorney immediately.
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