Winter conditions in North Carolina are cold, icy, and inconvenient if you need to venture out, but they also increase the risk of injury. When you walk into a business or cross a parking lot, you have every reason to expect the property will be safe, but ice and snow create hazards when surfaces aren’t cleared, salted, or managed properly. A fall on a slick walkway can lead to painful injuries, high medical bills, and weeks or months of recovery.
If you were hurt because a business or property owner failed to keep their property safe, you may have a claim under North Carolina premises liability law. Inclement weather may force store owners and property managers to work harder, but this is no reason to neglect maintenance. In this guide, the slip and fall lawyers at Edwards Injury Law explains where these accidents tend to happen, what you should do if you’ve been injured, and how an experienced personal injury law firm can help.
Where Do Snow and Ice Accidents Happen in Commercial Properties?
Slip and fall accidents caused by snow and ice tend to happen in areas that see a lot of foot traffic during winter months. If the surfaces aren’t cleared or treated in time, you may face a serious risk of injury. For example:
- Retail entrances and exits witness a lot of falls when snow is tracked indoors or when ice forms outside, and no one lays salt or clears it away.
- Sidewalks and walkways leading up to buildings can become slick after snow melts and refreezes overnight.
- Parking lots and loading zones create hazards when plows push snow into walking paths or slush freezes around parked cars.
- Staircases and ramps become dangerous when handrails are icy or surfaces lack traction.
- Areas near downspouts or rooftops may collect runoff that refreezes, especially when snow melts during the day and freezes at night.
Under North Carolina law, commercial property owners must take reasonable steps to keep their premises safe. That includes making sure areas used by customers, tenants, or visitors are free from hazards like snow, ice, and black ice. When these conditions appear, owners are expected to inspect, treat, and warn of the danger, especially if it’s in a place where foot traffic is anticipated.
The law doesn’t require instant snow and ice removal, but it does demand timely action. If a snowstorm ends at 6:00 a.m. and the business opens at 10:00 a.m., the property owner should have cleared or salted walkways before customers arrive. If melted snow from the roof refreezes every night, putting up warning signs or salting regularly is part of responsible property care.
North Carolina courts have made it clear that property owners can’t ignore repeated buildup or allow snow to accumulate in ways that block safe access. They must also address unsafe conditions they know about or should have found through regular inspection. If they fail to do so, and someone is hurt, they can be held legally responsible.
Who’s Responsible for Snow and Ice Hazards?
Responsibility depends on who controls the area where the fall occurred. That might be the business leasing the space, the property owner, or a third-party property management company. In some cases, two or more parties may share control and legal responsibility for maintaining walkways and entry areas.
For example, if you fall on a sidewalk just outside a retail store, the store may be responsible if the lease agreement gives them control over the entrance. But if you fall in a common area, like a shared parking lot or exterior walkway between buildings, the landlord or property management company may be at fault. That’s why it’s important to review maintenance contracts after a slip and fall and determine which party handled snow removal.
Injury claims often require investigation into who arranged for snow removal, who was on site when the hazard appeared, and who had the ability to correct it. If multiple parties had roles in maintenance, an experienced lawyer can identify each one and sort out who’s liable based on access, control, and behavior.
What Makes a Property Owner Legally At Fault?
A property owner may be at fault if they failed to take reasonable action to address the snow or ice hazard that caused your fall. That includes:
- Failing to salt or shovel walkways
- Ignoring icy patches known to refreeze overnight
- Allowing dangerous runoff from roofs to pool in customer areas
- Not posting warnings or blocking access when cleanup is delayed
Personal injury claims hinge on whether the owner knew about the hazard or should have discovered it during a routine inspection. If a winter storm hit two days ago and no salt was ever applied, that’s usually enough to support liability. If the owner cleared the main entrance but failed to treat an icy back stairwell, they can still be held responsible for injuries in that area.
Courts look at several factors: previous weather patterns, time since the last snow event, surveillance footage, customer complaints, cleaning logs, and store policies. You don’t have to prove they intended harm; only that they failed to act when action was clearly needed.
Common Injuries Caused by Snow and Ice Falls
When you slip and fall on ice or snow, tile, concrete, and asphalt don’t cushion the impact, which means your body takes the full hit. Some people walk away with minor bruises, but others need surgery or long-term care. For example:
- Broken wrists, arms, or ankles are common when people try to brace themselves during a fall.
- Head injuries, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries, can happen if you strike the ground or a hard object while falling backward.
- Hip fractures and joint damage, which have a more devastating effect on older adults, may lead to mobility issues or extended recovery.
- Back and neck injuries may cause chronic pain or nerve issues, especially when falls involve stairs or uneven pavement.
- Soft tissue damage, including sprains, tears, and deep bruising, may limit your ability to work or care for yourself.
What You Should Do After a Snow or Ice Fall
Winter hazards are easy to clear or deny if they’re not documented, so it’s important to act quickly. The following steps can help preserve your slip and fall claim and prevent the business from shifting blame onto you.
- Report the fall to whoever is on-site. Let the store manager, landlord, or front desk staff know what happened. Ask them to make a written report, and request a copy if possible.
- Take photos of the area where you fell. Include the ice or snow, any warning signs (or lack of them), and the surface underneath. If possible, capture the location from multiple angles.
- Get contact information from witnesses. If anyone saw you fall or noticed the hazard before your injury, they can confirm what conditions were like.
- Seek medical care right away. Even if the pain seems minor, go to urgent care or your primary doctor. Follow all instructions and document any treatment you receive.
- Avoid giving statements to the store’s insurer. Insurance adjusters may call you within days to collect a recorded statement. Do not speak to them until you’ve talked to a lawyer.
- Contact a personal injury attorney. A legal team can send preservation letters, request video footage, and collect weather and maintenance records before they disappear.
How Edwards Injury Law Approaches These Claims
At Edwards Injury Law, we take winter injury claims seriously. Our team investigates each case by reviewing weather reports, preservation timelines, and maintenance efforts (or lack of them). We act quickly to request surveillance footage, cleaning logs, and snow removal contractor agreements that might prove the property owner didn’t take action when they should have.
We also speak directly with witnesses and review lease terms, snow removal policies, and site inspection records. That allows us to identify the party responsible and build the case. If your fall happened outside a store, apartment building, or business property, we’ll identify who had control of the space and show what they failed to do.
We also handle all contact with the insurance company. That prevents you from being pressured into a low settlement or blamed for something outside your control. If the case can’t be resolved through negotiation, we prepare it for trial and present the facts clearly. Since we operate on a contingency basis, you don’t pay attorney fees unless we recover money for you.
How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in North Carolina?
North Carolina gives you three years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss that deadline, the court will likely dismiss your case, no matter how serious your injuries are or how clearly the store was at fault. That’s why early action is so important
Winter injury claims rely on evidence that disappears quickly. Snow gets cleared, camera footage is deleted, and salt logs and cleaning records are overwritten or discarded. The sooner you act, the better chance we have to protect that evidence and use it to support your insurance claim. Even if the full impact of your injuries isn’t clear yet, you can still consult a lawyer and get your claim moving.
Speak to a Georgia Slip and Fall Attorney Today
Property owners remain responsible for maintaining safe conditions during the winter months. If walkways, stairs, or parking lots are left untreated, they expose visitors to preventable injuries. Slippery surfaces tend to appear in areas that should be regularly inspected and addressed, so there’s no excuse for a lack of vigilance.
If you slipped and fell due to icy or untreated conditions on commercial property, you may have grounds for a legal claim. Edwards Injury Law investigates winter-related injuries and holds property owners accountable when they fail to act. You won’t pay anything unless we recover compensation for you. To learn more or discuss your options, reach out for a free consultation today.
