[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/new-jersey-premises-liability-law-for-winter-slip-and-fall-injuries\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/new-jersey-premises-liability-law-for-winter-slip-and-fall-injuries\/","headline":"New Jersey Premises Liability Law for Winter Slip-and-Fall Injuries","name":"New Jersey Premises Liability Law for Winter Slip-and-Fall Injuries","description":"When snow and ice are not\u00a0properly removed, a\u00a0dangerous\u00a0condition can cause a serious slip-and-fall accident, resulting in broken bones, head injuries, or permanent disability.\u00a0\u00a0 So far,\u00a02026 is having a record-setting winter season, with\u00a0the number of\u00a0winter slip-and-fall\u00a0injuries\u00a0increasing\u00a0across all 21 New Jersey counties.\u00a0With\u00a0nearly one\u00a0million people living and working in dense communities,\u00a0including Teaneck, Hackensack,...","datePublished":"2026-03-10","dateModified":"2026-03-10","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/author\/dssgarry\/#Person","name":"Garry Salomon","url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/author\/dssgarry\/","identifier":54,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9907dad52fd48387ef5a35296d6764b15ec2b3063f9530fa9a00e947df4dcf05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9907dad52fd48387ef5a35296d6764b15ec2b3063f9530fa9a00e947df4dcf05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/bg-logo.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/bg-logo.jpg","width":192,"height":90}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/shutterstock_2430021689.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/shutterstock_2430021689.jpg","height":667,"width":1000},"url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/new-jersey-premises-liability-law-for-winter-slip-and-fall-injuries\/","about":["Premises Liability"],"wordCount":1302,"articleBody":"When snow and ice are not\u00a0properly removed, a\u00a0dangerous\u00a0condition can cause a serious slip-and-fall accident, resulting in broken bones, head injuries, or permanent disability.\u00a0\u00a0So far,\u00a02026 is having a record-setting winter season, with\u00a0the number of\u00a0winter slip-and-fall\u00a0injuries\u00a0increasing\u00a0across all 21 New Jersey counties.\u00a0With\u00a0nearly one\u00a0million people living and working in dense communities,\u00a0including Teaneck, Hackensack, Englewood, Bergenfield, Ridgefield Park, Fort Lee, and Paramus, sidewalks, apartment complexes, parking lots, and building entrances see constant foot traffic throughout the colder months.\u00a0For those injured due to unsafe property conditions, understanding New Jersey premises liability law and knowing when to consult a New Jersey slip and fall lawyer is critical.\u00a0\u00a0Winter Slip-and-Fall Risks in New Jersey StateSnow and ice accumulation are one of the leading causes of winter injuries in New Jersey. Emergency rooms across the state see a noticeable increase in slip-and-fall accidents during colder months, especially after storms or periods of refreezing.\u00a0\u00a0Slip and fall risk factors are higher in urban and suburban areas of NJ, such as:\u00a0\u00a0Apartment complexes and multi-family housing\u00a0\u00a0Shopping centers and grocery store parking lots\u00a0\u00a0Office buildings and medical facilities\u00a0\u00a0Train stations, bus stops, and pedestrian walkways\u00a0\u00a0In Bergen County towns like Teaneck and Hackensack, where walkability is high and public areas are heavily used, a failure to prepare for and address winter hazards significantly increases the chance of someone suffering a serious injury.\u00a0\u00a0Duty of Care\u00a0Under\u00a0New Jersey Premises Liability LawUnder New Jersey premises liability law, property owners, landlords, and property managers have a legal duty to\u00a0maintain\u00a0their premises in a\u00a0reasonably safe\u00a0condition for tenants, customers, and lawful visitors. This duty applies year-round, but\u00a0cold winter\u00a0weather, especially in New Jersey, can add more responsibilities to these rules.\u00a0\u00a0Commercial Property Owners\u00a0\u00a0Commercial property owners, including apartment buildings, retail stores, office parks, and other properties, are\u00a0required\u00a0to take reasonable steps to:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Remove snow and ice from walkways and entrances\u00a0\u00a0Apply salt or ice-melt to prevent refreezing\u00a0\u00a0Inspect and\u00a0maintain\u00a0high-traffic areas\u00a0\u00a0Repair hazards such as broken pavement, loose handrails, or inadequate lighting\u00a0\u00a0A Commercial property owner’s duty of care can also often extend to sidewalks\u00a0adjacent to\u00a0the property when they are used by tenants or customers for access.\u00a0\u00a0Residential Property Owners\u00a0\u00a0Private homeowners generally have less responsibility when it comes to public spaces or sidewalks, unless they:\u00a0\u00a0Create or worsen a dangerous condition\u00a0\u00a0Are subject to local municipal snow-removal ordinances\u00a0\u00a0New Jersey\u2019s \u201cOngoing Storm Rule\u201dIn 2021, the New Jersey Supreme Court adopted the \u201congoing storm rule\u201d in the Pareja v. Princeton International Properties case. This rule clarified that commercial owners\u00a0generally do\u00a0not have a duty to remove snow and ice from walkways while snow (or weather) is actively occurring.\u00a0Instead, their duty to maintain the property begins within a reasonable period of time after the storm ends.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0However, property owners may still be liable if they:\u00a0Create a dangerous condition (such as piling snow that later refreezes into black ice)\u00a0\u00a0Ignore a pre-existing hazard that existed before the storm\u00a0\u00a0Determining\u00a0Liability in a Bergen County Slip-and-Fall CaseNorthern New Jersey has experienced many cold winters, making it common for commercial property owners, such as apartment complexes and commercial centers, to share the responsibility for winter maintenance tasks like plowing parking lots. When a slip and fall accident happens, and winter maintenance is shared, multiple parties could\u00a0be responsible for\u00a0contributing to the negligence that caused the accident. Depending on the facts, liability may rest with:\u00a0\u00a0The landlord or property owner\u00a0\u00a0A property management company\u00a0\u00a0A snow and ice removal contractor\u00a0\u00a0A commercial tenant responsible for maintenance under a lease\u00a0\u00a0An experienced NJ premises liability attorney will conduct an investigation to secure lease agreements, maintenance records, weather data, and local ordinances to determine who was legally responsible for the negligence caused.\u00a0\u00a0What Is Considered Negligent Winter Property Maintenance in New Jersey?\u00a0\u00a0Common examples of negligent winter property maintenance in all North, Central, and South New Jersey counties include:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Failing to shovel\u00a0or plow within a reasonable time\u00a0\u00a0Not salting known refreezing areas\u00a0\u00a0Allowing melting snow to create black ice\u00a0\u00a0Ignoring tenant complaints about icy conditions\u00a0\u00a0Leaving broken steps, uneven pavement, or poor lighting unaddressed\u00a0\u00a0Violating municipal snow-removal ordinances\u00a0\u00a0When these failures lead to injuries, the property owner or manager may be held legally responsible for not following New Jersey’s premises liability laws.\u202f An experienced New Jersey premises liability lawyer will investigate all conditions and parties involved to pursue the full compensation available on behalf of the injured party.\u00a0\u00a0Protecting Your Rights After a NJ Slip-and-Fall\u00a0\u00a0Slip-and-fall injuries can range from small cuts and bruising to permanently disabling\u00a0injuries, including:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Broken hips, wrists, ankles, and legs\u00a0\u00a0Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and concussions\u00a0\u00a0Spinal cord and back injuries\u00a0\u00a0Knee, leg, and\u00a0other\u00a0injuries to extremities\u00a0Torn ligaments and soft-tissue damage\u00a0\u00a0Long-term pain, mobility issues, and loss of independence\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0These injuries, when more severe, often require surgery, physical therapy, and time away from work, causing loss of income, adding tremendous stress to an already uncomfortable situation.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is also important to understand that New Jersey slip and fall claims are subject to strict legal deadlines, including:\u00a0A two-year statute of limitations for most personal injury claims under New Jersey law,\u00a0N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2.\u00a0A\u00a090-day Notice of Claim\u00a0requirement under the\u00a0New Jersey Tort Claims Act\u00a0for cases involving a public entity. This applies if the fall occurred on property owned or\u00a0operated\u00a0by a government body, such as a city, county, or the State of New Jersey. Examples include municipal buildings, public sidewalks and parking lots, Boards of Education, public universities (including\u00a0Rutgers University, The College of New Jersey, and William Paterson University),\u00a0NJ Transit\u00a0property, the\u00a0Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and\u00a0Newark Liberty International Airport.\u00a0An experienced New Jersey slip and fall attorney\u00a0will investigate,\u00a0identify\u00a0all responsible parties, build a case\u00a0to maximize compensation, and help their clients focus on recovery after\u00a0suffering\u00a0someone else’s negligence.\u00a0Trusted Bergen County Slip-and-Fall Lawyers at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.For over 40 years, Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., based in Teaneck, New Jersey, has represented injured clients throughout Bergen County and across New Jersey. The firm has recovered over\u00a0$1 billion\u00a0in verdicts and settlements\u00a0for more than\u00a040,000 clients\u00a0and families.\u00a0\u00a0The firm\u2019s\u00a0New Jersey slip and fall lawyers\u00a0have been\u00a0handling\u00a0cases involving unsafe sidewalks, apartment complexes, parking lots, and commercial properties throughout Teaneck, Hackensack, Englewood, Bergenfield, Ridgefield Park, Fort Lee, and Paramus\u00a0for over four decades.\u00a0Their\u00a0impressive\u00a0results reflect the firm\u2019s reputation and commitment to holding negligent property owners accountable and securing justice for clients who were injured due to negligence.\u00a0NJ Slip-and-Fall Contact Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.\u2019s Lawyers for HelpIf you were injured due to snow or ice on unsafe property in north, central, south, or any of New Jersey’s 21 counties,\u00a0the\u00a0NJ premises liability lawyers at\u00a0Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.\u00a0are here to guide you through the process, protect your rights, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Call us today or visit our New Jersey slip-and-fall lawyer page to schedule a free consultation.\u00a0\u00a0Clients seeking experienced personal injury lawyers near Teaneck, Newark, Colonia, Pennington, Jersey City, Hackensack, Princeton, Bergen County, Morris County, Passaic County, Essex County, Union County, or anywhere in the New Jersey or New York City area can contact Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. at 1-800-LAW-2000 or via email at\u00a0info@dsslaw.com.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Our firm offers free, confidential, and no-obligation consultations or second opinions, and has offices throughout New Jersey and New York City. We take cases on a contingency basis, meaning clients pay nothing unless the firm wins their case. Contact us today to get started.\u00a0"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"New Jersey Premises Liability Law for Winter Slip-and-Fall Injuries","item":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/new-jersey-premises-liability-law-for-winter-slip-and-fall-injuries\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]