Dauphin County Defendant Prevails Under Hills and Ridges Doctrine

Summary Judgment was entered for a Defendant lessee under the Hills and Ridges Doctrine in a recent decision out of the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas under the case of Williams v. Dialysis Prop., 125 Dauphin 270 (May 31, 2013).  

 

According to the summary of this Opinion, a Plaintiff was allegedly injured when the Plaintiff slipped while walking up an outdoor pedestrian ramp covered in snow.

 

Generally speaking, under the Hills and Ridges Doctrine, in order to prevail, a plaintiff must show that generally wintry conditions existed and that the premises owner allowed the snow and ice to unreasonably accumulate into hills and ridges upon the walking surfaces of the property.

 

The synopsis the Williams decision notes that summary judgment was granted when the court found the records failed to show any evidence that the Defendant permitted ice and snow to accumulate unreasonably upon the walking surface.  

 

Source:  “Court Summaries By:  Timothy L. Clawges Pennsylvania Bar News (September 16, 2013).  

 

Anyone wishing to review this Williams decision, may click this LINK.

 

 

Source of photo (NOT the actual ramp in this case): www.commons.wikimedia.org.