July 28, 2010
By Ashley Studley/Daily News staff Milford Daily News – link to article Some area snow plowers believe a recent court decision might work in their favor this winter. The Supreme Judicial Court decided Monday that property owners are responsible for clearing snow from their land, whether it fell naturally or was moved by a plow, to avoid snow-related injuries. The ruling could mean an increase in business. “It would have to (increase business). People are going to be more conscious of plowing,” said Joan Colligan, office manager for Colligan Landscaping in Franklin. The ruling relates to the case of a Peabody man who broke his pelvis in 2002 when he fell on a patch of ice in the parking lot of a Target department store in Danvers. Though the parking lot was clear, the man slipped on snow plowed into a median strip. A judge initially dismissed the case, determining the man had slipped on a “natural accumulation” of snow or ice – for which Massachusetts property owners have not been liable until now. In writing for the court, Justice Ralph Gants said landowners are now responsible for making their property safe from all types of snow and ice. “We […]
