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Common Injuries from Outdoor Activities in The Summer

On Behalf of | Jun 15, 2020 | Auto Accidents, Personal Injury |

Summer is an exciting time for most people. Kids are off from school and families spend their time traveling and participating in outdoor activities. However, with more activities, comes a higher risk of summertime accidents that cause minor to severe summer injuries. Depending on the circumstances around your accident, another party may be liable. Typically these kinds of accidents result in premises liability cases.

In order to help you have a safe summer, we’ve gathered a list of common summer injuries and how to avoid them. In addition, here we will share what to do if you are injured and when you should take legal action.

Premises

First of all, you should know that there are several different types of personal injury lawsuits. However, the core principle of personal injury law is that of negligence. In fact, negligence is the deciding factor of whether or not you have a case.

As a whole section of tort law, there are many subsections and types of accidents within personal injury law and premises liability. In general, a premises liability lawsuit is made to hold a property owner liable for injuries suffered by another party on said property. 

Here are a few examples of summertime injuries that may be subject to liability:

Summer Camp Injuries

Tips for avoiding summer camp injuries from Galligan Law in Des Moines, Iowa

Many families send their children to summer camps every year. Camp owners and organizers are required to maintain a certain level of safety at their camps. And many summer camps require parents to sign waivers. This helps protect camps from unreasonable lawsuits, particularly camps that run activities with a higher risk of summer injuries.

For example, sports camps often require liability waivers due to the high frequency of sports injuries. So long as the property and equipment are properly and safely maintained, the camp is protected from liability lawsuits. This also goes for other best practices and safety procedures. However, if safety or maintenance standards are not maintained, the camp may be held liable for related injuries.

Remember that personal injury law cases are highly situational. Therefore, no case has a guaranteed victory. Even if it shares similarities with a separate winning case. Consulting with a premises liability lawyer will help you know how to proceed.

Concerts Venues

Summer concert series are popular events throughout the United States. Venue owners, like any property owner, are required to safely maintain their property. Unsafe venue conditions may look like wet floors, uneven floors, and poor lighting. Most often, the types of accidents at venues that trigger premises liability are slips, trips, and falls.

In order to stay safe at a summer concert, pay attention to your surroundings. Avoid aggressive crowds, bottlenecks, and uneven flooring. In addition, avoid standing near walls or barriers.

Swimming Pools and Playgrounds

Both of these recreational activities present a risk of summer injuries. Remember that just because you or your child gets injured in one of these environments, the property owner is not necessarily responsible. Trips, scrapes, and falls are quite common, especially on playgrounds. 

Muscle related swimming injuries are most likely not going to trigger liability unless they were caused by a coach pushing you past safe limits. 

In order to stay safe around playgrounds, make sure the equipment is in good repair. While it takes some time, rust and sun damage can eat away at playground equipment. For general pool safety, you should follow posted safety guidelines and simply pay attention to the chairs and facilities you use.

Malls and Stores

While 2020 has been an exceptional year, summertime is usually a popular time to go shopping. The most common personal injury cases that start in commercial spaces are slip and fall accidents. 

The best way to avoid these accidents is to avoid slippery and uneven flooring. Pay attention to your surroundings, and if you notice a spill you should notify an employee. 

Dog and Cat Bites

Usually, summer involves gatherings and parties with friends and neighbors. It’s likely that you may come across a pet that doesn’t respond well to new people and may bite. The best way to avoid these types of injuries is to avoid unfamiliar animals. If one approaches you, remain calm and avoid provoking them. 

Each state has its own liability requirements for pet bites. In Iowa, dog attacks are strictly regulated, while cat bite injuries are more situational. You can read more here about what to do about dog bites or cat bites in Iowa.

Are State Parks Held Liable?

Each state has different regulations but in Iowa, there is no legal precedent for the liability of Iowa state parks.

Non-Premises

These types of liability cases involve accidents where the location of the accident is not a deciding factor. When it comes to summer, these types of cases tend to occur more frequently. 

Defective Products

In the summer, people tend to buy and use more products. Pool toys, camping gear, beach gear, grills, and more outdoor products are all common purchases. All of these can lead to great memories, but if any of these products are defective they can lead to painful injuries.

In order to protect yourself from dangerous and defective products, take time to inspect new products. If it is damaged or broken, you may be entitled to a refund. When researching a product, take the time to read the reviews carefully. Another step you can take is researching recent product recalls.

Auto and Boating Accidents

How to avoid Auto and Boating Injuries from Galligan Law in Des Moines,

With more summer free time, usually there comes more people traveling. Therefore, through the summer there tend to be more cars on the road, which leads to traffic, and raises the risk of accidents. As always, you should practice safe driving techniques and stay observant.

Summer can also lead to long stretches without rain. As a result, sudden thunderstorms and downpours can quickly lead to dangerous driving conditions and accidents. First of all, you should never drive through standing water on the road. Second, after long periods without rain, oil and dirt can cause slickness and lead to more accidents.

In terms of boating accidents, adhering to basic safe boating procedures will prove most effective at avoiding these types of accidents. Additionally, regular maintenance and inspection will help prevent equipment failure accidents.

What You Should Do If You’re Injured

Always seek medical attention after an accident. Even if you don’t notice immediate signs of injury. Next, you should gather evidence from pictures, witnesses, and authorities. You should make official reports about your accident, and gather contact and insurance information from the other party.

Personal Injury Attorneys at Galligan Law in Des Moines, Iowa

As a law firm dedicated to personal injury law, our attorneys specialize in helping injured persons recover financially from accidents. Beyond common summer accidents, our lawyers have experience dealing with serious wrongful death cases, dangerous pharmaceutical drug cases, and medical malpractice cases.