MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota. Most homeowners know that after a snowfall, it is their legal obligation to clear the sidewalks in front of their homes. Keeping your sidewalks free of snow and ice protects the safety of the community and prevents costly slip and fall accidents from taking place. Under Minneapolis law, homeowners have 24 hours to clear snow off the sidewalks. Apartment complex owners, businesses, and commercial properties have four daylight hours to clear the snow from the sidewalks in front of their properties to avoid city fines or legal liability for slip and fall injuries. Yet, where you shovel snow matters—and shovelling snow onto the street could get you into serious trouble. If this is something you are having trouble with, why not look into using snow removal company, who have integrated the use of snow removal software within their business. This way, they are more connected with their customers’ needs and are able to rapidly respond in a quicker time.
According to the Minneapolis government website, it is against the law to shovel snow onto the street or onto an alley. Homeowners and business owners should pile the snow on their yard or boulevard, not on the street. When homeowners or business fail to properly shovel snow, or shovel snow onto the street, this can lead to slippery sidewalks and roads, and frozen bumps in the road that can lead to car accidents or pedestrian injuries. Because it is against the law to toss snow onto the street, homeowners or business owners who break that law could possibly be held legally liable if an accident occurs due to their bad snow shoveling habits.
If you’ve been involved in an accident involving ice or snow, it may be wise to take as many photos of the scene as possible. You may also want to contact an experienced auto accident attorney who understands both city ordinances and traffic law. Victims may be entitled to receive compensation, either from a negligent driver, the driver’s insurance, and, in some cases, from the negligent homeowner or business that failed to properly clear ice and snow. The Law Office of Martin T. Montilino are accident lawyers in Minneapolis, Minnesota who help victims and families who have suffered due to business, driver, or homeowner negligence.
Some neighborhoods are more likely to report snow shoveling violations than others. According to MinnPost, the city does note that there are communities and areas where community members are more likely to complain about non-compliance. According to the report, when individuals use the city’s 311 app and take photos of the violation, the city is more likely to respond. Yet, individuals should be aware that it can take inspectors days to come. If you notice chronic violations, you may want to take multiple photos over a period of days to note the violation.
Finally, communities should be aware of the difficulties facing elderly or disabled residents who may not be able to easily shovel snow. In some communities, all sidewalks are perfectly shoveled, while in other neighborhoods, compliance is spotty at best. Some of this has to do with income, but some also consider community connections. In better connected neighborhoods, individuals are more accountable and are more likely to help the elderly and disabled clear their sidewalks.
Sometimes, it takes legal action to get things done. If you’ve been hurt due to snow in a road or due to ice on a sidewalk, visit https://martinmontilino.com/ to learn more.