Summertime is here, bringing with it sun, relaxing days on the beach, time with family—and no shortage of accidents that are likely to leave personal injury lawyers booked through fall. Take note of the biggest risks you face this summer and be cognizant of your surroundings to avoid unintentional injury.
1. Car Accidents
Car accidents remain one of the most common types of personal injury cases in summer. With people taking road trips or heading out on vacation, there are more cars on the road than almost any other time of year. While you can’t control how safely others drive, you can plan ahead to lessen the chance of being in an unsafe situation. Leave early and review routes before leaving.
2. Grilling Incidents
While many grilling injuries occur as a result of user error or inattention, grill accidents can also happen due to equipment malfunction. If your grill malfunctions while you’re using it, the results could be disastrous—and a product liability or defective productive lawsuit could help you recover your medical expenses and lost income.
3. Boating Accidents
As local lakes and bays become more crowded, boating accidents are inevitable. A substantial amount of boaters overestimate their own capabilities or imbibe while in charge of a boat. Boating accidents often lead to serious injuries, property damage, and even fatalities. After a boating crash caused by another person’s negligence, it’s important to connect with a personal injury attorney with substantial experience in this area of law.
4. Lawn Mowing Incidents
Lawn mowing incidents fall into the same basic category as grilling injuries. In most cases, they are caused by user error—perhaps someone doesn’t check the lawn for rocks before starting, uses the wrong type of fuel in their lawn mower, or isn’t aware of obstacles in their path. However, in other cases, a poorly designed product may be to blame. When a design flaw causes injury, the manufacturer could be liable.
5. Park and Playground Incidents
Kids are bound to end up with a few bumps and bruises in summer, but some injuries can seriously impact a child’s quality of life. Many injuries can be attributed to a parent’s negligence or inattention, ruling out the possibility of a personal injury case. Others, though, can be tied to poorly designed playground equipment that doesn’t meet safety standards. If you suspect that unsafe playground equipment could be at fault for your child’s injury, it’s worth speaking to a lawyer.
6. Injuries Caused by Swimming
Swimming is perhaps one of the most dangerous activities in summer. Even strong swimmers can overestimate their abilities and end up stuck in an undertow or in water that’s far too deep. In swimming areas that utilize lifeguards, victims of near-drowning incidents or family members of drowning victims may be able to seek damages through a personal injury case. However, personal injury cases require you to prove damages. While a near-drowning incident can be scary, it’s unlikely to lead to serious medical issues that require ongoing care, and a personal injury case may not be a viable option. On the other hand, a drowning incident that causes a fatality does have clear damages. A case may be successful if you can prove that the lifeguard in charge of the pool or body of water was negligent in their duties.
7. Sunburn and Heatstroke
Sunburn and heatstroke are two common summertime injuries that are usually fairly minor. In some situations, they can cause serious health issues. There are multiple situations in which a personal injury case might be a suitable option. Consider, for example, a child that suffers a debilitating sunburn because the parent used sunscreen that was later discovered to use expired or ineffective ingredients. A product liability case could help the family recover damages. If a parent places their child in the care of a daycare or babysitter who fails to use sunscreen, the parent may be able to bring a personal injury case against the caregiver if the child suffers serious medical issues because of their sunburn.
A little bit of extra preparation and caution can help make summer even more fun and memorable—and if someone else’s actions cause you harm, a personal injury lawyer may be able to assist you.
That’s good to know that some injuries could be caused by someone else and some of them would be due to negligence, or would not have permanent effects. I feel like that would mean that some injuries would make a better case than others. I should talk to a lawyer if one of my kids or I were ever injured and it was unclear if it was a case or not.