Massachusetts Property Owners Now Have Legal Responsibility To Shovel and Treat Snow and Ice
Did you know that last year the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overruled 125 years of Massachusetts Snow Removal Law and determined that plowing, shoveling, and sanding isn’t an just option for property and business owners anymore. It’s now required by law. If someone slips and falls in front of your business or home property …yes you guessed it they can sue!
All Massachusetts property owners and business owners must remove or treat snow and ice like any other dangerous condition on property.
If a person falls on your property because of snow or ice that hasn’t been cleaned up, they can sue you. Before this new ruling, a lawsuit could come if they prove that an “unnatural accumulation” had built up, such as frozen discharge from a gutter. Now, with this new law all they need is a snowy or icy sidewalk or driveway to have grounds for a lawsuit.
You’ve got merely 24 hours after a storm to get it cleaned up. The same goes for store owners as well. Many cities, like Northampton, have ordinances which require stores to shovel their sidewalks and steps within 24 hours after a storm. This new law will make them liable for their customers’ safety as well.
What this change in Massachusetts snow removal law means for all property owners, both residential and commercial, is that they need to be extra careful and tentative after snow and ice storms, and clear all relevant areas in which the public and visitors have access to–early and often. Removing snow alone often times does not do the trick because there is still a risk of black ice build up. Consider the professional application of Magic Salt; Magic Salt is a highly effective ice melting product. It is a less corrosive, biodegradable and environmentally friendly product, that can melt snow faster than any other product.
Learn more about saving your business by preventing a law suit with our professional walkway clearing services and Magic salt applications today.
