There is no doubt that the winter of 2010-2011 was an unusually severe one. Temperatures dipped and they stayed low for a far longer period than normal. The snow started falling in November and in some places it stayed on the ground for months. Low temperatures and heavy falls caused massive traffic disruptions even in the south of the country, where snow of any kind is a rarity.
In fact some say that it was in the south that disruption was worst, as local councils were not as well prepared as their northern cousins. Accidents (and personal injury claims) happened all across the country but it did emerge that grit supplies ran dangerously low in some parts of the UK. Plows were not always available and grit trucks stretched to the limit or beyond.
Exact figures on the number of accident claims arising from the 2010-11 snow and ice are hard to come by, but it is clear that the numbers were considerable and the issues not restricted to traffic. Huge numbers of people suffered slip and fall injuries on the ice outside their homes, for example, and it is thought that many of these had legitimate cause to make a complaint.
In some cases it was not the council that held responsibility for clearing snow and ice. There were personal injury claims relating to supermarkets that failed to clear their property and entryways to render them safe for customers, and claims against those operating public transport hubs and other spaces into which people are invited or directed.
Of course, there were also many inspiring stories of companies and councils going above and beyond their legal requirements to help people cope in the extreme weather conditions. It wasn’t all about accident claims, and it can be hoped that the next time the UK sees heavy snow and ice, local authorities and businesses are more aware of the legal responsibilities and more ready to meet them.