What Happens If a Customer Slips on Your Property?

4 min read · Thames Valley Snow, London, Ontario

Even with a solid snow removal plan in place, a slip-and-fall can still happen. Knowing how to respond in the moment, and afterward, matters for both the injured person and your business's liability exposure.

In the immediate moment, focus on the person's wellbeing first. Check if they need medical attention, offer to call for help if needed, and avoid making statements that could be interpreted as admitting fault before you know the full circumstances of what happened.

Document the scene as soon as possible afterward. Photos of the area where the fall occurred, including the surface conditions at the time, are critical. If your snow removal contractor provided service logs and photos from their most recent visit, pull those records immediately, since they show what condition the property was in before the incident.

Report the incident to your insurance provider and, if you have one, your snow removal contractor's insurance as well. Most commercial contracts specify a notification process for incidents, and following it properly protects both your business and the contractor's ability to respond if the claim involves them.

Records Make the Biggest Difference

When a claim arrives weeks or months later, memories fade. Written records do not. A good winter file includes the dates and times the property was plowed and salted, photos of the conditions after each visit, weather notes, and any incident reports. We take a timestamped photo after every visit, which gives our clients a clear record of when their site was serviced and what it looked like when we left.

Act Quickly on Legal Notices

In Ontario, injury claims over snow and ice can come with strict timelines for written notice. Do not sit on a letter or an incident report. Pass it to your insurer right away and get advice from a lawyer or your insurance provider about your obligations. This article is general information, not legal advice.

Prevention Starts Before the Season

Most slips happen in predictable places: entrances, ramps, steps, the bottom of downspouts and shaded corners where meltwater refreezes. Before winter, mark edges, steps and drains so they stay visible under snow and meltwater can drain. Make sure the contract names which areas are salted and whether freezing rain and refreeze events are covered. Our seasonal salt service includes freezing rain and refreeze visits.

Inside the door, mats and a wet-floor sign help catch the water and grit customers carry in. Ask staff to report icy spots right away instead of assuming someone else has.

Check Your Contractor's Coverage

Ask for proof of liability insurance and WSIB registration before the season. Thames Valley Snow carries $2,000,000 in liability coverage, is WSIB registered, and is a member of the London Property Management Association. Commercial sites are priced individually, with a per-site quote within 2 business days.

Review What Happened and Adjust

After any incident, take a few minutes to look at the cause with your contractor. Was the spot on the site map? Did meltwater from a downspout or a snow pile run across the walkway and refreeze? Was the area salted, and was it too cold for salt to work well? Small changes, such as moving where snow is piled, adding a marked drain, or treating an entrance more often, can prevent the next fall. Write the change into the plan so it sticks for the rest of the season.

Should I apologize to the person who fell?

Showing care is fine and important. Avoid guessing about cause or fault until the facts are gathered, and let your insurer handle the claim.

What should an incident report include?

The date, time and exact location, the weather, what the surface looked like, any witnesses, and photos taken as soon as possible.

Ready to sort out winter before it starts? Ask for a free quote, or call or text (548) 888-8702. You can also read more about our commercial snow removal and salting and ice control.

What's included… and what's extra

A Thames Valley Snow seasonal residential plan starts from $650 for a standard driveway. It covers clearing the driveway every time snowfall reaches the trigger depth in your agreement, plus the windrow the city plow leaves at the end of the driveway. Larger driveways are priced on our snow removal prices page.

Popular add-ons, priced per season: walkway and steps $150–175, salting $175, priority service $125, pet-safe salt $120, driveway extension $95 and city sidewalk clearing $90. Add only what your property needs; everything is listed on the quote so there are no surprises. Get your fixed price or call or text (548) 888-8702.