A water main broke in Chelsea around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, and workers will have to replace 12 feet of pipe. A director of Chelsea’s public works department suggested that the pipe broke because it was old and not because of the cold weather. The weather did, however, create icing conditions on Broadway and Beacon St. sidewalks where the water ran.
Icy sidewalks are a main cause of Massachusetts slip and fall accidents. These kinds of accidents can result in broken bones, head or neck injuries, and other serious and painful injuries. In a city like Chelsea, which offers various assisted living options and a nursing home, it is particularly important to take care that premises are safe because persons older than 75 are six times more likely than younger individuals to die as a result of a slip and fall. Slip and fall deaths don’t affect only the elderly, though. Every year, more than 17,000 people die because of slip and fall accidents.
When a property owner unreasonably fails to remove snow or ice accumulations on his/her premises, a person injured as a result may be entitled to compensation. There is no longer a legal distinction between natural and unnatural accumulations in Massachusetts, and plaintiffs no longer have to prove that the snow or ice was in any kind of abnormal state.
Source: The Boston Globe, Repairs underway to Chelsea water main
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, call Altman & Altman at 617 492 3000 or 800 481 6199 or contact us online.