STRATFORD -- An increase in lawsuits by people injured after falling in freshly plowed areas is causing some insurers to reconsider snow-removal liability insurance. "There has been a veritable orgy of slip-and-fall claims in the last couple of years," said Mark Yakabuski, a spokesperson for the Insurance Bureau of Canada. "They consider it too high-risk," he said.

That could mean fewer private snowplow operators on the job.

"A lot of contractors have cut back or gotten out of (plowing) altogether," said Dennis Griffin, who has been in the business for 22 years.

He said he had to switch insurance companies two years ago when his insurer said they were no longer offering the type of coverage he needs. Since then, his premiums have been on the rise.