Minnesota experienced a couple different rounds of snow last week, and while the wintry mix may make for some pretty pictures among the fall foliage, early snow is also a recipe for an influx of personal injury lawsuits. In today’s blog, we explain why October snow often leads to an increase in personal injury lawsuits, and we explain what you should do if you are involved in an accident or personal injury situation.
With Snow Comes Injury
The first snow always tends to bring a small uptick in car accident injury cases, and that makes sense because motorists have been used to traveling at faster speeds during the summer. When snow and ice hits, you need more time and space to come to a complete stop, and all it takes is a little ice to turn your attempted stop into a fender bender. We always try to remind drivers to drive extra carefully during the first snow of the season, because you’re going to need more time to stop and react to traffic.
Another reason that early snow is problematic is that it makes it harder to see pedestrians. Granted snow at any time can make it harder to see people walking around, but coupled with fewer daylight hours in October, and a snowy twilight can make it very hard to see pedestrians, who may not yet have their bright winter jackets out of storage. Always be on the lookout for pedestrians when driving, but pay extra attention when it’s snowing and making it harder to see.
The first snow is also a dangerous time to be navigating city sidewalks. Temperatures often dip below freezing overnight, which can make for a situation where it snows, melts to water and then freezes to ice overnight, making for very slippery walkways. Many landlords and homeowners aren’t as quick to remove the first snow and ice from walkways, and if you’re not ready for it, you can easily slip and fall on a newly formed patch of ice. Make sure you’re watching where you’re walking if temperatures are near freezing, and don’t be afraid to wear winter boots or a shoe with more traction than what you have been wearing during the summer and fall.
We expect to field a few extra calls this week, as we’re already seeing numerous reports about car accidents and drivers losing control of their vehicles. If you were struck by another driver in your vehicle or as a pedestrian, know that you have compensation options. At a minimum, reach out to an injury firm in your area and go over the basics of your case. They may tell you that you don’t have much of a case, but far more often than not you’ll have compensation options that you didn’t know were available to you. We can help you get the compensation you deserve during this particularly dangerous time on the roads.
We hope you quickly adapt to these less than ideal driving conditions, but if an accident or injury occurs, pick up the phone and give the experienced injury lawyers at Hey Workers a call today.
