Violent weather can happen almost anywhere, and perhaps there’s no weather element that’s more dangerous than hail. Hail stones come in sizes that range from as small as a pea to as large as a baseball, and even a short hail storm can lead to physical injuries, property damage and more.

Physical Injuries from Hail

If you are outside during a hail storm, be careful – you may be at risk for severe injuries. While most hail is small, it is not the size that can cause injuries. The concern with smaller pieces of hail is that they arrive in large numbers, essentially raining down sheets of hard ice chunks. If you are unfortunate enough to be caught outdoors in a hail storm, you may end up with cuts, bruises and even broken bones. Additionally, hail can pose a threat to your eyes if you are not wearing vision protection.

Structural Damage Leads to Injuries

While hail can cause physical damage to the body, that is not the only danger. In fact, hail can damage structures, such as homes or businesses, leading to unsafe conditions and the further possibility for injury. When hail damages a structure’s roofing, small cracks and leaks can begin occurring, often leading to larger ones as time goes by. Once water has had a chance to infiltrate a structure’s wood foundations, rot can set in and cause the entire structure to be at risk of a collapse. Many times, hail creates such a small amount of damage during the actual storm that homeowners and business owners do not even realize the potential for future damage exists until it’s too late. This is when you run the risk of being denied insurance claims as a result of such damage.

Our Phoenix hail damage attorney warns that insurance companies may deem that the damage to your home or business was pre-existing before the hail storm ever took place. If your property was damaged and you or someone else was injured as a result, contacting an experience attorney can help you resolve all of these issues.

Other Concerns

Hail can also cause injuries in other ways, including making the ground slippery. Hail stones on roadways and walkways can lead to dangerous slips and falls as well as vehicle accidents. Slips and falls that occur as a result of hail stones being on a walkway can lead to severe trauma, including internal organ damage, brain damage and more. Additionally, if you are driving on a roadway that has hail stones on it, your vehicle’s tires may not be able to grip the road, and at that point, your steering will become useless. Because of the loss of driver control, vehicles involved in hail-related accidents often suffer extensive damage.

Editor’s additional notations – for a list of some of the Best Car Accident Lawyers in Phoenix click here – this may be helpful in addition to the other points from this post.

If You Have Been Injured

If you have suffered injuries because of hail and your injuries could have been prevented by someone else, you may be entitled to compensation from that person or entity. To find out more information on how you can seek out that compensation, most people recommend contacting a personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer can examine the specifics of your case and injuries, and he or she can then recommend a course of action to remedy the situation. If needed, a personal injury lawyer can also file a lawsuit on your behalf to seek out compensation, and he or she can also represent your interests in court.

Finally, in order to protect yourself from hail-related injuries, it’s important to always stay indoors during hailstorms. If you are unable to be indoors, try to find a shelter while the hail is coming down, but never stand under a tree if lightning is present during the storm. If you are in your vehicle, find a safe place to pull over, and never drive over roads that have been heavily affected by hail.

Karla M. Somers is a legal researcher and writer with a background in conflict resolution. She is a contributing author for the law offices of Doyle Raizner, a well-known Phoenix hail damage attorney firm. This experienced legal team can help you with everything from personal injury to insurance law, workplace injury, maritime accidents and international injury.