What To Do If You Are Injured By A Tree Or Falling Branch
While the numbers of people getting hurt by falling tree branches isn't a very high number, there are still those who do get injured. If you are injured by a falling tree branch and you are not on your own property when it happens, you will want to consult a personal injury lawyer.
What Are Personal Injury Lawyers?
Personal injury lawyers provide legal representation if you have been injured either physically, psychologically, or both, and it is because of another person's wrongdoing. If you sustain an injury due to the negligence of a company, government agency or any other type of entity, you might have reason to consult a lawyer. It all boils down to this: if you feel you did nothing to cause yourself to be injured, you may have a case. This does include getting injured by a falling tree branch.
What Are the Chances of Getting Injured by a Tree?
In the Unites States, there are nearly 247 billion trees over one inch in diameter. With so many trees, it is bound to happen that a branch falls causing serious injury. While most injuries or fatalities involving trees happen to those who work in tree services and landscaping (120 fatalities in one year according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration), there are still occasions where everyday citizens are hurt or killed by trees or falling branches.
Serious head, neck and other injuries or fatalities can be caused by trees in the following ways:
- Enormous branches falling from tall trees onto passersby
- Entire tree collapses or falls on person nearby
- Trees or large branches falling onto vehicles or homes
If you get injured by a tree or falling branch in any of these ways, you will have to prove it was somebody else's fault. In some cases where injuries by trees or branches have occurred, it was because a property owner or government agency neglected caring for the tree which caused branches or entire trees to fall. When injury or death is caused by a defective tree, the law holds tree owners or tree managers responsible.
When Should I Call A Personal Injury Lawyer?
If you are injured by a tree or falling branch and it was your fault you were injured, a lawyer will not be able to help. However, if you get hurt because someone neglected to properly care for their trees and it fell or lost branches as a result, you should contact a personal injury lawyer such as The Reed Noble Law Firm PLLC.