Winter brings weather conditions that change how we do simple tasks. When there’s ice covering your sidewalk, even the way you walk will be affected. You can’t just walk regularly on ice or you’ll slip, so you’ll need to know the proper way to take steps on ice.

Slipping on ice can lead to bruises, broken bones, and serious head injuries. According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the most common injury from slipping on ice is to the back. It’s important for you to know the best way to walk on ice to avoid slipping so you do not cause serious, and sometimes irreparable, damage to your body.

A slip and fall accident has the potential to upend a person’s life. While a minor fall for a younger person might only result in some bruising and the need for rest, a major fall for an older person could end in serious injuries and the need for a hospital stay. Determining how and why the fall happened is crucial to proving the victim deserves compensation for their injuries.

While events like car crashes and instances of medical malpractice, for example, often come to mind when thinking about accidents people take legal action for, a slip and fall that resulted from negligence should be handled with the help of a lawyer, as well. No matter whether the incident occurred on private property or in a public space, the owner is supposed to ensure there are no hazardous conditions. If they neglect their duty and someone gets hurt, they can be held accountable.

In order to understand why slip and fall accidents can be so dangerous, you have to know about who is the most at risk for falling and why, what injuries are often associated with falls, and the long-term consequences people might not think about.