As winter continues, more and more people are involved in accidents due to ice and snow. Although you can’t sue Mother Nature when you are injured in one of these accidents, many times you can obtain relief if a court finds negligence has occurred.
“Slip and Fall” Accidents
Slip and fall accidents are more prevalent in the wintertime when sidewalks are icy, or snow hides a dangerous condition. If this happens to you, it could be a catastrophe. You could incur substantial medical bills and may lose time from work. Your best recourse may be to file a lawsuit to recover your losses.
Filing a Lawsuit
This type of lawsuit is called a personal injury case, or premises liability action. This means that you are claiming that the owner or possessor of the property is responsible for your injuries. However, determining liability is not an easy task. It is not enough that you were injured on someone else’s property. It must be shown that the accident was caused by negligence or improper action by the owner of the property.
If the accident happened on government property, there are additional criteria to be met. A competent personal injury lawyer can quickly determine if you have a reasonable chance of obtaining relief.
If you slip and fall on the property of your employer, you are entitled to workers’ compensation. However, sometimes these claims are improperly denied. When that happens, you will need assistance from an attorney to overturn their decision and receive all of the benefits to which you are entitled.
Weather-Related Auto Accidents
If another driver is at fault, causing your car to slip on the ice or snow, you should not rely on your insurance carrier to get you all of the compensation you deserve. Both your insurance company and the other driver’s insurance company will try to pay you as little as possible.
What should you do?
- Document EVERYTHING – take photos of the scene and any damages or injuries
- Take notes – time of day, any witnesses, what was said and done, and by whom
- If it’s an auto accident, report it to the local police and call your insurance company; be sure to get the other driver’s insurance information
Things NOT to do
- Do NOT admit blame
- Do NOT refuse medical treatment.
- Do NOT leave the scene of an accident until the legal authorities tell you it is okay
- Do NOT accept any offer of settlement without discussing it with a competent attorney.
- Do NOT assume that you know all of your rights and obligations
- Do NOT speak to any insurance company (including your own) until you have consulted with a lawyer.
To make sure that your rights are protected and that you receive all of the compensation that you deserve, you will need an experienced personal injury lawyer. Call us today or fill out our online contact form and we will get back to you within 24 hours.