4 Risks Associated With Heavy Snowfalls

Snowfall increases the chance of car accidents in a few ways. First, you may struggle with visibility in extremely snow conditions. Even if you can see, however, the snow and ice makes the road slippery. As a result, car tires can't grip the road as well, leading to skidding. In fact, about 17 percent of car accidents occur in snowy conditions, and about 1,300 people a year are killed in car crashes on snowy/icy roads.

Anytime you drive, you must ensure you have adequate insurance, but if you have to drive a lot during snowy weather, it may be a good idea to upgrade your current auto insurance policy. Even if the other person causes the accident, having adequate insurance will help you and your attorney fight your case.

Too much snow can destroy your roof too. Your roof is strong, but it has a limit to how much weight can support. The excess weight of snow can cause the roof to actually collapse. For the most part, a roof can support about 20 pounds of snow per square foot. Ten inches of snow equals about five pounds of snow per square foot.

Some roofs are naturally heavier, such as slate tile roofs. The stones used to craft these roofs are heavy. In this case, even a little extra weight from snow may cause complications. Luckily, most roofs with heavy tiles have a steep slope, which allows water and snow to better slide off.

Shoveling heavy snow is strenuous and puts a lot of strain on your heart. The cold temperature, however, may prevent you from sweating or overheating, causing you to think you aren't getting overworked. The strength it takes to continually shovel snow is actually more of a workout than running on a treadmill.

Therefore, if you are not in great health or haven't been exercising regularly, you should see your doctor before you do any snow shoveling. If you do need to shovel your walkway or driveway, make sure to treat it like exercise: warm up, take breaks, etc.

If you don't remove the snow or ice, it increases the risk of slips. If someone slips on your property, they may be able to file a lawsuit against you. Your homeowner's insurance should cover the cost, but expect your premiums to increase. If you are unable to remove the ice, make sure you warn people of the potentially icy conditions. If a trespasser slips on your property, however, you may have no liability because they had no valid reason for being on your property.

Commercial properties have a higher duty of care to protect visitors, customers, etc., from slipping on ice and snow. In fact, most stores are expected to remove any snow and ice from the sidewalk and parking lot. 

If you are in good health and shape, shoveling your own sidewalk may not be an issue, but many people can't remove snow on their own because of the heavy weight. Leaving the snow increases the risk of injury, which may lead to a lawsuit. If you would like to better protect yourself from the dangers of snow, make sure you have adequate insurance. For more information or to get a quote, contact us at Wegner and Associates.