Thanks to a changing climate, the weather in Britain is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Floods, high winds and heavy snowfall are becoming more common. Freak weather like this can result in people suffering injuries. High winds, for instance, can cause cars to career out of control, or cyclists to fall off their saddles, while people walking down the street can be hit by windblown debris.
Act of God
Nobody is responsible for the weather. In legal terms, freak weather, along with other natural events such as earthquakes, are known as acts of God. Even weather forecasters can’t be held to account if their predictions were dramatically wrong. However, just because nobody is to blame for the weather, doesn’t mean that somebody’s negligence didn’t contribute to an accident during the freak weather.
Negligence
While nobody can fully predict freak weather occurrences, people do have an obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of others. For instance, if the road is wet or icy due to the weather, drivers have to consider this. If a driver is driving too fast for the conditions or fails to leave enough space to the car in front, he or she could be deemed responsible if there is an accident. In addition, if you are injured by a piece of windblown debris, such as a street sign, it may well be the case that it was not secured properly, which could mean you could make a claim for any injury you have suffered.
Making a claim
If you are injured during a freak weather occurrence, you could have a case for claiming compensation. Negligence in these sorts of scenarios can be difficult to prove, but if you believe somebody was negligent, you should speak to a personal injury solicitor as soon as possible who may be able to advise you whether or not you have a case
