Claims and lawsuits involving slip and falls on snow and ice are big business, especially in heavily populated cities in the northeast like New York; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; and Baltimore. Significant resources are spent investigating, defending, and resolving these claims.
Whenever weather conditions at a specific time and place are relevant to proving or defending a claim, counsel should consult with an expert meteorologist to review and analyze the weather conditions at the time of the incident, since they can be invaluable to the successful resolution of snow and ice claims.
Since snow and ice claims are contingent upon the establishment of “notice” by the owner of the property, it is essential to discover the precise weather and ground conditions at the time of the alleged incident.
Weather conditions change quickly and significantly over short distances, making snow and ice claims very complex. Fraudulent claims and/or inaccurate recollections of the weather and ground conditions complicate matters.
A certified consulting meteorologist conducts a site-specific analysis and provides detailed information about the weather conditions, temperatures, history of melting and refreezing processes, timelines, and when snow or ice last formed. Such expertise is essential to establish the weather and ground conditions at the precise time and location of the slip and fall.