When you live in a colder climate, winter rain, ice and snow can quickly cause accidents. Some seasonal holiday traditions also result in personal injuries. Most of these events are preventable. Consider the following five most common causes of wintertime personal injury lawsuits.
1. Ground-Level Slips, Skids and Falls
Sidewalks, steps, driveways and roadways coated with cold water and ice often cause people, pets and vehicles to lose control of their movements just long enough to suffer one or more injuries. Beyond scrapes, bruises and light swelling, anyone can suffer from broken bones, head or neck trauma and other serious injuries. When these injuries happen because someone failed to maintain surfaces, experienced personal injury lawyers like those found at Otorowski Johnston Morrow & Golden P.L.L.C. can help determine if you have a case.
2. Icicles and Ice Dam Drops
Icicles along gutters and eaves and melting ice dams are incredibly hazardous. Falling ice can do far more than impact a person’s head and shoulders. Sometimes falling ice can cause deep lacerations and puncture wounds. Icicles and ice dams are easily prevented with regular after-storm roof inspection and maintenance.
3. Falling Trees and Electrical Lines
Tree branches and limbs, entire trees and electrical lines and attached poles fall more often in winter because cold temperatures and high winds make materials more brittle. Simple pre-season and after-storm inspections and maintenance can prevent injuries that range from slight bruises and cuts to broken bones, internal bleeding and electrocution tissue damage.
4. Holiday Decoration Events
During wintertime holidays, people often fall off of ladders and roofs while trying to put up or take down their outdoor decorations. High winds can also cause poorly mounted holiday decorations to fall off of structures and hit people and pets. Lastly, faulty holiday lights can electrocute users.
5. Indoor and Outdoor Fires
People often get burned when they fail to take appropriate precautions when lighting and maintaining indoor and outdoor fires or fire-lighting product manufacturers fail to provide appropriate safety tools. Sometimes a spark from a poorly maintained fireplace causes a structural fire. Portable electric heaters also overheat outlets and cause electrical fires from improper use or product defect. Beyond burns, people can suffer lung and breathing problems long after an event because of toxic fumes.
Although these are the most common causes of wintertime personal injury lawsuits, many more examples exist. For additional information, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer today.
About the Author: Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University where she studied communications. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her husky Snowball. You can find her on Twitter at @LizzieWeakley and on Facebook at facebook.com/lizzie.weakley.
