Chicago winters are serious business. Extreme temperatures, high winds, and heavy snowfalls bring yearly dangers to our city’s residents. Thousands of Illinois residents slip and fall on the ice every year. Most get up laughing, but an unlucky few suffer serious injuries. A Chicago city ordinance requires anyone who owns or has charge of a property to clear ice and snow from the sidewalk in front of their home or business. Property owners and renters could face municipal fines for failing to shovel. However, this does not necessarily mean that anyone who fails to comply with this law is automatically liable to anyone who slips and falls in the snow on their sidewalk.
If you got hurt when you slipped and fell, it is best to talk over your options with a qualified attorney. Slip and fall cases are rarely as cut-and-dry as they may seem, and an attorney investigation may be needed to prove the cause of your accident.
What if I Got Hurt Because a Property Owner Did Not Shovel?
Chicago does have a municipal ordinance requiring anyone who has charge of a home or business that abuts a public sidewalk to remove ice and snow accumulations. However, the purpose of this law is more closely related to accessibility than safety. When this law was written, lawmakers were concerned with making sure that our sidewalks are clear for those who would otherwise have trouble making their way around Chicago. People who use mobility assistive devices like wheelchairs, as well as senior citizens and the visually impaired, may struggle to move about the city if the sidewalks are covered in snow. While clear sidewalks do tend to have the effect of reducing slip-and-fall accidents, that is not the primary purpose for the statute.
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