A Fresh Set of Eyes May Shed New Light on Your Case
A fresh set of eyes may shed new light on your case. CompuWeather was retained by a plaintiff’s attorney to determine weather conditions for a slip and fall in front of a residence. The plaintiff was walking by a house when he slipped and fell on snow and ice at the edge of the driveway that slopes down to the street, resulting in severe injuries.
The CompuWeather expert’s analysis determined that a trace of snow and ice accumulation, which is equal to less than 0.10 inch, had occurred that morning, and was ongoing at that time. This is normally considered a “storm in progress” defense and absolves the homeowner from any liability for the fall. The attorney that retained CompuWeather was ready to move on from the case since the weather conditions were not favorable.
There was surveillance video available, that on first glance, confirmed that there was light icing as a result of the ongoing event. CompuWeather’s expert asked to review this video with the thought that there may be some clues to shed light on the actual conditions at the location of the incident. The video showed the slip and fall, then the arrival of an ambulance and finally the arrival of the homeowner. Upon arrival, the homeowner pulled into his driveway, grabbed a shovel and began to clear the snow and ice that was present on the sidewalk. The video showed a light accumulation of snow and ice throughout the property from the ongoing event, except at the location where the fall was alleged to have occurred. The homeowner spent a considerable amount of time scraping and shoveling this area on the video. The footage showed the homeowner tossing large shovels of snow and ice into the street, though the rest of the property only had a thin translucent coating of snow and ice.
As a result, it was clear that the snow and ice that was present at the location of the fall was, at least in part, a result of prior events and not just the event in progress. This provided the plaintiff attorney with the necessary information to continue moving forward with the case. Without the assistance of CompuWeather, this case would not have proceeded and would likely have been dismissed.
Give CompuWeather a call at 1 (800) 825-4445. Speak with our Certified Consulting Meteorologists and see how their expertise can add value to your legal case or claim.
