With winter season upon us, it is time to remember the importance of shoveling and salting your driveways and walkways after a snowfall. Slip and fall injuries are much more likely to happen in the winter months, creating a greater risk of liability for property owners. If someone slips and falls on your property because you haven't cleared your driveway and walkway within a reasonable time, you could be legally responsible to compensate that person.

Property owners face legal obligations to keep their property clean, safe, and ice-free, and that is why it is ever so important to protect yourself with a homeowner's insurance policy that provides 3rd party liability protection.

The law in Ontario is that property owners have a duty to ensure that their property is reasonably safe for anyone who enters. That means that property owners have to make sure that their property is free of hazards to anyone on the property.

This duty does not mean that property owners have to be out removing snow and ice while the snow continues to fall, but it does require them to remove these accumulations within a reasonable period of time. What is reasonable is determined by the facts or circumstances in a particular case.

Many cities in Ontario have enacted by-laws that require snow and ice removal from walkways next to their property within a certain amount of time. In the City of Toronto, the Municipal Code  – Chapter 719, requires residential and business property owners to clear snow and ice within 12 hours of a snowfall. The fine for non-compliance is $125. In the City of Vaughan, property owners are given 24 hours to remove these accumulations.

If someone does happen to slip and fall on your property, it is important to make sure that you are protected from a legal standpoint—it could save you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Third party liability insurance, available as part of a homeowners' insurance policy, will likely fully protect you from any accidental bodily harm to another person on your property.

Third party liability coverage is typically standard in a homeowner's or tenant's policy, but it is still important to review your policy limits and ensure that you are adequately covered if something does happen. If a person is seriously injured on your property, it is possible that their damages may exceed the limits of your policy—putting your own assets at risk. You also want to ensure that your policy limits are sufficient to protect friends, customers, or other visitors to your property in case an accident does happen and they are seriously injured.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.