Licensed in Missouri and Kansas

Winter Weather Injuries: Falling on Snow or Ice

Winter is coming to Kansas City. That means the holidays, time off with family and friends, and the New Year are just around the corner. It also means the cold, frigid Kansas City weather is settling into the metro. Although snow, sleet, and ice can trap us indoors, we still must go out and live our lives. Despite our best efforts to be careful and walk where we think it’s safe, we can slip, fall, and suffer serious, life-changing injuries.

So, what happens when you or a loved one slip on ice and are injured? Do you have a personal injury claim?

Only when an owner should have taken particular safety measures can they be responsible for these injuries. These cases have their own special rules (see our other blog post here) and we recommend contacting an experienced premises liability attorney as soon as possible.

In the meantime, there are a handful of ways you can help your lawyer determine whether you have a viable personal injury case:

  • If you are injured, seek prompt medical attention.
  • Report your injury to the property owner so your incident is documented, but don’t trust them to accurately record what happened.
  • As soon as possible, take pictures of the scene and surrounding areas so the condition can be documented. Likewise, take photos of the surrounding properties to help show the general conditions of the community. Often, the injured person is unable to take photos because of the injuries; consider asking a friend, family member, or an attorney to take these photos.
  • Take note of the weather conditions such as precipitation and temperature.
  • If there are witnesses, get those individual’s names and contact information.
  • Look for security or traffic cameras to see if the incident was documented.
  • Contact a personal injury attorney.

Once you’ve retained us, we will begin our investigation immediately. We canvas the scene, locating witnesses and potential cameras capturing the fall. We pull certified weather reports and hire experts including meteorologists and snow removal professionals. We identify where the snow or ice originated: is it from the sky, or did it melt off an adjacent building and a gutter poured it into the parking lot walkway. Most importantly, we take the lead on your case so that you can take a step back and focus on healing.

We have experience in these types of cases and stand ready to assist you. Contact us to learn more.

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