As our normal winter weather returns to Wisconsin, homeowners, business owners and municipalities have a responsibility to keep their sidewalks, driveways and roads cleared of snow and ice. Icy conditions can lead to a slip and fall accident, which could result in a lawsuit.

A recent case in Newtown, Connecticut highlights the potential pitfalls of icy sidewalks and parking lots.

A Stratford, Connecticut man recently filed a lawsuit against the town of Newtown and a Newtown homeowner seeking monetary compensation for injuries he allegedly sustained in a 2009 accident on an icy walkway.

According to the complaint, the man worked for Sippin Brothers Oil Co. and was making an oil delivery to a home on Lone Oak Meadows on December 31, 2009. As he approached the home, the man slipped and fell on the icy sidewalk.

He allegedly hit his head when he fell and suffered a traumatic brain injury. According to court documents, the severe blow to the man's head caused a variety of problems including short-term memory loss, headaches and blurred vision. Additionally, the man's right leg is now shorter than his left leg, the lawsuit alleges. The man also has back pain, shooting pain down his leg and foot pain as a result of the slip.

The lawsuit claims the man fell because the homeowners and the town had not cleared snow and ice from the sidewalks. The area also had not been properly sanded.

Because of the fall, the man has bills for medical and hospital treatment as well as physical therapy and medications. He wants the town and the homeowners to help pay for these expenses and any future medical bills he may incur from the incident, according to the complaint.

Source: Newtown Patch, "Town Named in Slip-and-Fall Lawsuit" Hoa Nguyen, Jan. 8, 2012.