What Are the Common Types of Seasonal Risks of Personal Injury? 

Seasons may change and so do personal injuries with them. 

Each year up to 500,000 personal injury cases arise in the U.S, which is a staggering number. But did you know that certain types of injuries tend to be on the rise during specific seasons? 

When you think about it, it makes sense that weather factors and season-specific activities lead to different risks and accidents.  

Let’s take a look at the most common types of risks associated with each of the four seasons: 

Winter 

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Due to the freezing temperatures, wet surfaces tend to turn slippery due to the formation of ice. This can result in slips and falls, which is why bone fractures tend to be pretty common during the winter. 

Moreover, the accumulation of snow and ice can increase the threat of having these heavy objects fall onto someone’s valuables or a person passing by. In other words, there’s an increased risk of head injuries during the coldest season. 

Defective equipment used during this season, ranging from heaters to ski lifts, can result in burns and other types of injuries. 

Finally, cold temperatures and reduced visibility are known risk factors for vehicle accidents during the winter. The second and third to that are poor maintenance of the roads and increased consumption of alcoholic beverages.  

In fact, studies have shown that a drop in temperature and shorter sunlight hours directly affect alcohol consumption. 

Spring 

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Melting snow can sometimes result in damage to the roads. As the weather gets warmer, cyclists are joining the traffic and more people are outside.  

Busy traffic consequently leads to a rise in personal injury cases resulting from improper maintenance of sidewalks and roadways. This is why we often see a rise in vehicle accidents in tourist areas during spring. 

We’ve noticed that personal injuries due to vehicle accidents tend to happen all year round. It’s just the risks that change. If you’ve been in one or you’ve suffered an injury due to any other seasonal risk, click here to learn more about damages you may be entitled to. The best Marks & Harrison, the voted best law firm in Virginia.

Apart from that, since spring is a changeable season, some refreezing can still occur. That, combined with frequent rain and weather changes, associates spring with injuries that happen due to icy and slick roads. 

Lastly, a lot of construction projects are initiated during springtime. Unsafe conditions, such as failing to provide personal protective equipment for the spring or failing to check the machines for mud and wet areas, can lead to an increase in construction accidents. 

Summer 

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Sunny days call for trips, which means more drivers on the road and therefore more opportunities for vehicle accidents. Not to mention, there is always a noticeable spike in accidents due to drunken driving somewhere around the holidays. 

This probably doesn’t surprise you, but what may surprise you is that dog bite cases seem to be even more common during the summer season.  

Dog owners tend to take their dogs to parks and other crowded areas more often during the summer. All the noise and the quick movements lead to nervousness and agitation in dogs, which oftentimes results in dog bites when dogs are left unleashed. 

Accidents on the waterways are more common, too as people engage in more water activities. That includes the swimming pool, boating, rafting, kayaking and other beach-related accidents. It also includes accidents that happen due to defective equipment, such as surfing boards, or pool chemicals. 

Fall 

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Just like with spring, weather conditions and temperature during the fall season are rather unpredictable. This means that a variety of personal injuries that we’ve already mentioned tends to happen during this season. 

There are also many holidays during the fall, with Halloween being the most notable one. Children especially are at an increased risk of getting injured, due to walking around in costumes that may reduce their visibility to drivers. 

Among other things factoring into reduced visibility are the shorter days, heavy rains and presence of fog. 

Slips and falls occur during the fall just like they do during the winter season. The most common reasons for these are the wet leaves lying around and fallen branches from neighbouring properties.  

You should ensure that all of the debris is cleaned up from your property or else you might be faulted for negligence if someone gets hurt. 

Apart from that, falls from unstable ladders seem to happen more frequently too, with people climbing up to the ladders to clean their roofs or decorate their homes. 

There are just some of the most common seasonal risks of personal injury you should pay attention to.  

If your injury is a result of someone else’s negligence (for example, a drunken driver or even your neighbour), you may be entitled to some compensation for your suffering. In that case, you might want to consider booking a consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer.