ER Docs Anticipate Increase in Ice-Related Accidents

With the arrival of winter, emergency room staffers are anticipating an uptick in the annual increase in the number of injuries related to snow and ice.  In some cases, these are serious or even fatal car accidents. Snow and ice may also play an integral role in injuries that occur when people slip and fall on the ice, according to a recent news article from Fox News.

One doctor interviewed as part of the article said extremity injuries are particularly common this type of year.  They occur when someone slips on ice or snow and then tries to catch themselves. While it is a natural reaction to try to put your hand out when you are falling, so as to brace yourself, it is actually one of the worst things you can do.  When your outreached hand makes contact with the sidewalk with all of your body weight behind it, it is easy to break your wrist or hand.  This is why snowboarders and those on roller blades are supposed to wear plastic guards on their wrists to prevent a broken wrist when falling.

The doctors also talk about fractures to the ankle from these types of accidents where someone slips and falls on an icy parking lot.  As our  Boston personal injury attorneys have seen in many cases over the years, a slip and fall injury can result in serious pain and suffering.  These types of accidents also require multiple surgeries where pins and even metal plates and bolts are inserted into the patient to support healing. This can not only cause a lot of pain, it can be very costly and result in a lot of time missed from work.  Lost wages are a common claim in these types of personal injury cases.

One thing to keep in mind is that while any slip and fall injury can be serious and painful, whether you have a valid personal injury case will often depend on who was responsible for clearing the sidewalk or warning pedestrians of ice.  If that person or organization that was responsible owed a duty to the plaintiff, and the plaintiff was a injured as a result of breaching that duty, this can be the basis for filing a negligence-based lawsuit.

One thing that the doctors recommend is to make sure you are wearing footwear that is appropriate for winter weather. If you are required to wear dress shoes for work, it is recommended that you wear snow boots when walking from the T to your office and then change into dress shoes at work.  While the accident may not be your fault, anything you can do to prevent injury will certain help you to avoid being in a great deal of pain and suffering.

Another type of injury that we typically see this time of year is an injury to the elbow such a radial ulnar fracture.  These types of fractures are extremely painful and can result in permanent debilitating injury.

If you have suffered personal injury in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.

ER doctors expect increase in visits from snow and ice injuries, December 8, 2016, By Anna Scott, Fox News

More Blog Entries:

Alcala v. Marriott Int’l, Inc. – Icy Sidewalk Slip-and-Fall Lawsuit to be Retried, June 27, 2016, Boston Child Injury Lawyer Blog