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Weeks of freezing temps have left a lot of ice on the ground.
Slip-and-fall lawsuits targeting local businesses and homeowners
are up this winter, but lawyers tell us most people who fall
don't actually have a case. Krystal Clark found out why
new at 5. Spotting a slippery sidewalk or parking lot these days is
easy, but keeping your balance is what's proving to be tough for a lot of people,
that's why local law firms say they're seeing an increase in slip and fall cases.
Strict standards in Ohio mean your chances of getting compensated for
taking a tumble this winter are low.
Attorneys at Charles Boyk Law in downtown Toledo say over the last month
they've gotten
emails and phone calls daily from folks wanting to know if they have a case.
They say when Mother Nature is the culprit behind your slip and fall
in most instances neither a business nor property owner will be forced to fork
over a dime.
Ohio has a long-standing rule that they're not going to require property
owners to clear
ice and snow caused by Mother Nature.
That is ice, snow that has just come down or
refrozen ice, precipitation that refreezes overnight,
that's not going to present a cause of action against the landowner.
In rare instances, Bruno says, homeowners can be held liable for slip and fall injuries.
Let's say you have a storm water pipe that's too close to a walkway,
if water flows out of it and freezes on your walkway causing people to fall,
you could be at fault. In Toledo, I'm Krystal Clark.