What is your responsibility when it comes to clearing the sidewalk in front of your home?
This very much depends on where you live. Ontario municipalities all have different bylaws that dictate whether it is the cities responsibility or the homeowners. If you’re living in Hamilton, Kitchener, Windsor, or maybe Waterloo the responsibility is on the home or business owner. Your section of sidewalk should be cleared within 12 hours of any snowfall. This is to prevent or reduce any sidewalk slip injuries and/or falls that may occur.
Then we look at Toronto and GTA; sidewalk clearing is part of the routine duty of our city workers. They have mechanical sidewalk plows and snow blowers that run the thousands of kilometers of sidewalks throughout the city. That doesn’t save you though… The GTA still has a sidewalk shoveling bylaw that can penalize residents and business owners if a stretch of sidewalk out front isn’t shoveled within 12 hours.
So Who Is Responsible?
It takes time for the mechanical equipment to make it around all the sidewalks in Toronto, and the operators are bound to miss some locations. If your sidewalk is still snow covered after 8-10 hours after a snowfall maybe take the initiative and give it a quick shovel. Technically after 12 hours you can be fined 125$ for not clearing that snow away within the GTA.
Who Is Responsible If Someone Slips?
The legal issue with a slip and fall outside of a residence or a business in the Greater Toronto Area is an interesting case. In a 2000 Ontario Court of Appeal decision snow and ice accumulation on sidewalks is the legal responsibility of municipality and not the property owner. This city owns this public throughway and is thus responsible for it.
Sidewalk Slip Injury
If you have been injured in a fall after slipping on ice or snow on a public sidewalk you are entitled to remuneration from your accident. Talking to an accident lawyer as soon as possible is the best recourse for any situation. We can quickly assess the injuries and start working on your case. Remember we only get paid on successfully winning your case so there is no harm is exploring your options.
