Common sense on snow: now the lawyers get in on the act

A quick follow-up to yesterday’s post about how this year is (fingers crossed) seeing the death of the myth that people shouldn’t clear snow from outside their homes because the hounds of hell (aka being sued) will descend on them.

It’s always been mostly myth, but this year – helped in large part by stronger and clearer advice from the government – the myth is very much on the retreat.

Now there is good news from the legal front too, particularly welcome as in the past lawyers have been some of the worst for talking up fears of being sued despite not being able to point to any cases of it ever having happened. Here’s the news from the Liverpool Daily Post:

A MERSEYSIDE personal injury lawyer last night moved to reassure homeowners they are unlikely to be sued if they try to clear ice and snow from their doorsteps and pavements.

As the region endures an intense spell of cold, perennial fears of litigation arising from ice-related slips and falls rear their head.

But MSB Solicitors’ head of personal injury, Eamon Sexton, said new guidelines issued by the Government were designed to allay the worries.

He said the Department of Transport published the advice after reviewing the nation’s response to January’s big freeze. Mr Sexton told LDP Legal: “It’s part of this Big Society thing to remove the barriers which stop people from helping themselves and those around them, whereby you shouldn’t be prevented by the fear of litigation from doing something which is in the public interest.

“The guidelines imply that households would not be held liable at law if they were clearing the snow in a reasonable fashion as per the guidelines.”

The guidelines – which are available from the Government website www.direct.gov.uk – advise people to spread salt or sand to help keep paths clear. But it insists hot water should not be used as this can form into black ice.