Whether you are liable for a slip-and-fall after plowing, and whether you are covered, depends on your policy and your contract. Snow and ice removal carries serious slip-and-fall liability that some general liability carriers exclude, so your summer landscaping policy may not cover it. Plow contracts also often include hold-harmless and indemnification language that shifts liability onto you, so the coverage and the contract have to be reviewed together.
Why slip-and-fall after plowing is a big exposure
Plowing and de-icing create liability that lasts long after the work is done, someone slips on a lot you cleared, sometimes on ice that refroze, and the claim comes back to you. That completed-operations exposure is more severe than typical maintenance, which is why some general liability carriers exclude snow and ice work entirely. If you plow, your policy has to be written to include it, not assumed to carry over from summer coverage.
What plow contracts shift onto you
Commercial plow contracts frequently include hold-harmless and indemnification clauses that shift liability for slip-and-fall claims onto the contractor, sometimes beyond what your insurance would normally cover. Signing one without understanding it can leave you responsible for claims your policy will not pay. Reviewing the contract language against your coverage before you sign is how you avoid taking on liability you cannot insure.
Covering winter operations correctly
Winter operations can be added seasonally, and carrier appetite for snow and ice varies, some exclude it, some price it separately, some require specific limits. Because the exposure is concentrated and can be severe, placing it with a carrier whose appetite includes winter work, at the right limits, and with the contract language reviewed, is what makes a slip-and-fall claim actually respond.
Questions to ask your advisor
- Does my general liability include snow and ice work, or exclude it?
- What liability do my plow contracts shift onto me?
- Are those contract terms within what my policy covers?
- Is my winter coverage placed with a carrier that writes snow?
- Are my limits adequate for a serious slip-and-fall claim?
A slip on ice hours after you plowed is one of the most serious liabilities a landscaper takes on, and it often sits outside a summer policy while a plow contract quietly shifts it onto you. Coverage that specifically includes snow and ice, placed with the right carrier and matched to your contract language, is what keeps a winter slip-and-fall from becoming an uninsured claim you agreed to own.