When the weather turns, and we move into the winter, it is common to hear of people being injured more. Our cities’ slippery sidewalks and stairs can become dangerous places. Usually, formal office attire can become a nightmare to wear during those icy evenings. It is a common belief that personal injury claims tend to rise in the winter months. It feels logical; there is more opportunity for injury, so therefore it is likely that more injuries will occur.
Especially as we reach the hectic pre-Christmas phase of winter when everyone is rushing around buying presents, injuries feel more likely to occur. However, is it true that more injuries occur in the winter months?
The simple answer is yes, injuries are more common in winter
Ask any personal injury lawyer, and the likely answer is yes; injury claims are more common in the winter. The reasons why make sense, too.
For one, the evenings are longer, and the days are shorter. This leads to longer periods of darkness; all it takes is one lifted cobblestone or pavement piece, and you can fall. When winter comes, most people turn to winter attire – this can mean larger, thicker shoes that make it easier to get caught or trip on a piece of pavement.
Given that winter means most pavements contract and constantly expand, even sidewalks that we know intimately can become hazardous. The same goes for poorer lighting conditions, even with street lighting, making it more likely that someone can fall during their evening.
Then you need to account for road conditions being poorer during the winter, which can lead to personal injury in a traffic accident. It is harder for cars to stop as intended when the roads are icy and slippery. This creates the ideal conditions for personal injury.
Factor in that winter is always a busy time of year; people are often rushing to catch trains, meet deadlines, and buy presents for Christmas. This generally rushed attitude towards life in winter can lead to a lack of attention when in transit and can easily lead to slips, falls, and crashes that can become very painful.
So, yes, just about every personal injury claim type can increase during the winter months. The conditions are simply ripe for people being injured for all of the reasons that have been listed above.
Is making a personal injury claim in winter harder?
With the abundance of CCTV footage today, it is much easier to make a personal injury claim and see it stick. For the most part, people looking to claim in the winter will find success but need to have both patience and proof. Patience due to the high number of claims and evidence due to how rigorously a defendant will face against the claim during the winter months.
With proper legal support, though, it is possible to make a claim and win your claim during the same winter your incident took place.