Legal Definitions - natural-accumulation doctrine

The natural-accumulation doctrine is a legal principle that generally protects landowners, including governmental entities, from liability for injuries caused by naturally occurring conditions like ice or snow on their property. This means they are typically not required to remove such natural hazards. However, this protection does not apply if the landowner has taken some affirmative action that *increased* the danger beyond what would naturally exist, thereby creating a new or more severe hazard.

• Example 1: City Sidewalks After a Snowstorm

  Imagine a major snowstorm blankets a city. A pedestrian slips and falls on an icy patch on a public sidewalk that the city has not yet had a chance to clear. Under the natural-accumulation doctrine, the city would likely not be held responsible for the pedestrian's injury, as the ice was a natural occurrence.

  Explanation: The city did not create the ice; it formed naturally due to weather conditions. Without any action by the city to make the sidewalk *more* dangerous than it would naturally be, the doctrine protects them from liability.

• Example 2: A Retail Store's Parking Lot

  A large retail store's parking lot becomes covered in a thin layer of black ice overnight. A customer, unaware of the ice, slips and breaks their arm while walking from their car to the store entrance. If the store had done nothing to alter the natural condition of the ice, they would likely be protected by the natural-accumulation doctrine.

  Explanation: The black ice formed naturally. Unless the store's actions (like improper plowing that created new icy patches, or a faulty drainage system that caused water to pool and freeze unnaturally) made the situation worse, they are generally not liable for injuries from the naturally accumulated ice.

• Example 3: A State Park Hiking Trail

  After a week of heavy rain, a hiking trail in a state park becomes extremely muddy and slippery. A hiker, despite warning signs about slippery conditions, falls and sprains an ankle. The state park would likely not be liable for the hiker's injury under this doctrine.

  Explanation: The muddy and slippery conditions are a direct result of natural rainfall. The park did not create the mud or the slippery surface; it was a natural consequence of the weather. The doctrine protects the park from liability for these naturally occurring hazards.