If you have to walk on an icy sidewalk or parking lot, you’re probably mostly thinking about your footing as you try to avoid a fall. You stay straight up, taking short steps, and you try to keep your balance centered. This does mean that you have to walk more slowly, but you know you need to maintain that traction.
This is all wise, but there’s another side to it, as well. You need to think about what you’re doing with your hands, as carrying items can make a slip-and-fall accident more likely.
Quick stabilization
There are two issues. The first is that you instinctively use your arms for balance when you need to stabilize yourself quickly. Even before you realize your foot is slipping, your arm is already shooting out to the side. Flagging your arm out like this changes your center of balance and can help you stay up. When your hands are full — as you carry a bag of groceries out to your car, for example — you lack the ability to make these quick adjustments.
The second issue is that the item you’re carrying means your weight is skewed to that side. You may feel like you’re staying perfectly straight and centered, but gravity is actually pulling you just slightly in that direction. This may make it easier to lose your balance, even when walking properly in the conditions.
Seeking compensation
If you do fall and it happens on someone else’s property, they may be liable. You need to know how to seek financial compensation to cover your costs.