Warmer Weather Correlates to More Personal Injury Liability
Believe or not, there is a direct correlation between the seasons changing and the likelihood of being involved in some kind of personal injury issue. From car accidents peaking in the summer to
daylight savings time seeing its own spike in crashes, there are a significant amount of potential injury hazards that will impact your day to day.
The Bay Area becomes more of a tourist hotspot in the spring, and even though more people out and about will always equate to more injuries, this also comes with an increase in potential hazards that are unique to this season.
What Accidents are More Common in Spring?
Spring break is notorious for sending people home with injuries as frequently people go to places they’re unfamiliar with. Although we hope you’re being mindful of meeting up at your favorite outdoor spot or traveling, we still want you to be aware of any potential hazards that may come up.
Slip and Falls
While you may not be able to feel the humidity on most days, it still can affect the amount of moisture inside local restaurants, gyms, retail stores, and other places of work. Since there are still restrictions placed on what you can do indoors, especially in these locations, you should be cognizant of how the weather affects shop floors, parking lots, and job sites. Remember, if you don’t see a “caution: wet floor” sign, there still could be potential hazards you need to pay attention to.
Car Accidents
Consistent with
national trends, fatal car crashes in California tend to increase from January to April, before peaking during the summer months. While a lot of this has to do with more people being on the roads to coincide with vacations being taken and school being out, it does point to a greater overall issue. Teen drivers are still one of the most vulnerable groups to car crashes and the freedom of spring and summer breaks only adds to this.
Pedestrian and Bike Accidents
Warmer weather brings more people outside, and when this happens you can expect to see more pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Data from the
Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA) suggests that California sees the most pedestrian accidents from January to June annually in comparison to every other state. California is also one of five states that makes up nearly 50% of all pedestrian accident fatalities with Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Texas.
Along with pedestrian accidents, California is one of the states that accounts for a significant amount of bicycle fatalities. According to the
People Powered Movement, San Francisco is statistically one of the most dangerous cities for cyclists, ranking in the top 10. These rankings are determined by the bicyclist fatality rate per one million people. Two other California cities, Los Angeles and San Jose, also rank in the top ten.
While these are only the most common personal injury hazards that one may experience during the spring, there are dozens of others that you should look out for if you plan on getting out of the house this season. Don’t forget – if you are injured in a negligent situation, you have every right to pursue legal action.
Looking for Representation? We Can Help
The team of attorneys at Delfino Green & Green have a proven track record of success. With over 30 years of representing clients in the Bay Area, our attorneys have obtained
tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for clients on a variety of issues. If you are looking for representation for
your personal injury case, call
415-442-4646 or
visit our website to schedule a free consultation.
