I Fell in the Parking Lot of My Job...

by Shontia
(Poughkeepsie, New York)

I fell in the parking lot of my job when I was on my way to the car to go home. We had an ice storm the night before and the parking lot was not shoveled.

I have a lumbar sprain and a pinched nerve and can no longer do my job. Can I sue for personal injury?

Visitor Question:

Disclaimer: Information provided in our response is NOT formal legal advice. It is generic legal information based on the very limited information you provided. Under no circumstances should the information in our response, or anywhere else on this site be relied upon when making decisions about your case. You should always get a formal case review from a licensed attorney.

Comments for
I Fell in the Parking Lot of My Job...

Click here to add your own comments

Premises Liability
by: Law Lady

When you are injured on the premises of another, you may sue under the theory of premises liability and negligence. Here, the issue is whether their failure to shovel the snow after the snow storm gave rise to negligence? I can see the answer going BOTH ways.

Negligence: If your employer always shoveled snow after snow storms creating a reasonable and foreseeable assumption that the ice would be shoveled, their failure to do so could create liability.

This is because your employer would have assumed a duty and would have breached the duty by failing to shovel snow which then proximately caused your fall leading to the damages you describe.

No Negligence: If however, it had JUST snowed, or your employer did not own the parking lot but merely occasionally shoveled as a courtesy for example, then no duty would arise and where there is no duty, it is nearly impossible to hold someone liable.

Act of God: Even if negligence could exist which would support the premises liability theory, there are certain circumstances for which a party has no control, such as Acts of God.

Things like snow, perilous conditions, weather, etc. are considered acts that are outside of a party's control such that no liability inures as a result of injury occasioned by those conditions.

The answer to your question falls within the descriptions given above depending on the particular facts of your case.

Since laws change frequently and across jurisdictions you should get a personalized case evaluation from an attorney licensed in your state (if you haven't already). Find an experienced local attorney to give you a FREE personalized case review here.

Best of luck,

Law Guy

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Premises Liability Questions

I Fell in the Parking Lot of My Job...

Comments for I Fell in the Parking Lot of My Job...

Comments for
I Fell in the Parking Lot of My Job...