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Colorado Limits Risk Transfer for Snow and Ice Management Services

6/13/18

By: Josh Ferguson
Colorado becomes the second state to recently pass an anti-indemnity bill regarding snow and ice management service contracts.  The Snow Removal Service Liability Limitation Act has passed in Colorado and been signed into law by the Governor. The Act provides that it is against public policy and void for a snow and ice removal contract to require a snow and ice management service provider or receiver to: (1) indemnify the other for their own acts or omissions; (2) hold the other harmless for their own acts or omissions; or (3) impose a duty to defend the other for their own acts or omissions. Similar legislation is pending in many other states as indicated by Accredited Snow Contractors Association President Kevin Gilbride.
The Accredited Snow Contractors Association has noted several anticipated benefits to this legislation for the snow and ice management contractors. First, prohibiting transfer of contractual defense and indemnity for a property owner or manager’s own negligence, the property owner and/or manager has an increased reason to make sure the roadways and sidewalks are adequately treated.  Additionally, a potential side effect this statute could have is lowering ever increasing insurance premiums for snow and ice removal contractors by avoiding those tenders of contractual defense and indemnity.
For further information or for further inquiries involving hospitality or premises liability law, you may contact Josh Ferguson of Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP, at jferguson@fmglaw.com.