Places Where Slips And Falls Frequently Happen
Last updated on October 22, 2025
At Keller, Woods & Thompson, P.A., we have helped countless Minnesota and Wisconsin families recover after suffering an injury in a fall. We understand how these injuries can impact all aspects of your life.
For the sake of your case, it’s important to understand places where slip-and-fall accidents could happen in order to make a claim. Most slip-and-fall accidents happen at supermarkets and restaurants. However, slip-and-fall accidents can happen anywhere that there is an unsafe environment – including private property.
A few of the more common areas that people tend to slip or fall include:
- Icy sidewalks, driveways or parking lots
- Unmarked wet floors in shopping malls or retail outlets
- Loose steps or paving on private property
If you are on someone’s private property and experience a slip-and-fall injury because of an unsafe environment, a slippery surface or a defective surface, the owner of the property could be responsible.
The Impact Of Snow And Ice On Slip-And-Fall Cases In Minnesota And Wisconsin
Winter weather turns simple walkways into safety risks. A sudden freeze, melting snow or packed ice can create dangerous spots within minutes. These changing conditions make it harder for property owners to keep their spaces safe and for you to know what caused your fall. At Keller, Woods & Thompson, P.A., we have seen how courts in Minnesota and Wisconsin review what each owner actually did to fix or prevent hazards, not what they planned to do later.
Under Minnesota law, property owners must act with reasonable care when managing winter conditions. That duty includes clearing snow, deicing surfaces and warning about slick areas that they cannot fix right away. Wisconsin law follows the same idea but adds higher safety standards for public buildings and workplaces. The meaning of “reasonable care” changes with the weather, the type of property and how much time has passed after a storm.
Owners cannot wait for perfect weather before acting. They need a plan that supports fast responses when ice builds up or melts again. Courts often look at whether the owner noticed a hazard, how long it lasted and what actions followed. A reasonable plan often includes:
- Clearing snow soon after it falls
- Applying salt or sand to reduce slipperiness
- Checking busy entrances for refreezing water
- Setting up warnings or barriers while cleanup continues
- Keeping logs or inspection notes to track maintenance
Ignoring these steps can lead to premises liability claims when someone suffers a slip-and-fall injury. Even short delays in shoveling or salting can create risk if nearby properties manage the same storm more responsibly. The law does not demand perfection, but it does expect steady effort and sound judgment.
If you experience an injury, you can protect your rights by acting quickly. Take photos before cleanup begins, keep the shoes you wore and note how long the ice appeared to be present. Witness details, maintenance records and video footage can show how long the hazard existed and what the owner did in response. You should also document every stage of your recovery. Records of treatment, physical therapy and follow-up care can connect your medical bills to the event that caused them.
Snow and ice cases show how good fall prevention protects everyone. Reasonable action keeps communities safe, while neglect creates both financial and personal costs during Minnesota and Wisconsin’s long winters.
After A Fall, What Next?
When a slip-and-fall accident takes place, the business owner or the homeowner is responsible for the personal injury because it is their job to keep the property safe. It is likely that they caused the unsafe conditions, knew about them or should have known about them.
If you’ve experienced a slip-and-fall accident or sustained a personal injury in a public place or on private property, contact us for more information about how to file a claim. You can also give us a call at 763-447-4076 to start your free consultation.