This time of year the personal injury attorneys at Stark & Stark see a lot of clients who slip and fall in parking lots on ice. Commonly referred as “black ice,” it’s difficult to see during the day because it either blends in with the blacktop or appears to be just water. At night it’s impossible to see and is very treacherous.

Unfortunately, the consequences are often serious. Slipping and falling on ice usually happens so quickly people cannot react in time to cushion the fall. As a result, we see many clients on the way to an uneventful shopping trip turn into a visit the ER and sometimes the operating room.

Don’t let this happen to you. Many businesses plow the snow but fail to follow up daily with salt and sand. As long as there are piles of snow in the parking lot, there will be the potential for the dreaded black ice. At night, try to park as close to the front of the store as possible as snow contractors usually push more of the snow towards the back of the parking lot. During the day tread carefully, even when the parking lot appears wet. If you’re unlucky that day, make sure that you report any incident to the store. Hopefully they will put down some salt and sand and protect the next customer.