Winter is an amazing time. Not only do you get to spend the holidays with your family, but you also get cold weather and more importantly, snow! There aren't many things as exciting as a snow day, regardless of age, as snow days are usually spent enjoying hot chocolate, building snowmen, and, of course, starting snowball fights. However, you've probably already experienced how quickly a friendly snowball battle can turn south. Could you find yourself getting dragged into court and sued over injuries sustained during a well meaning snowball fight?
The short answer is yes. Although you will need plenty of evidence supporting your claim, it is very much possible to sue for damages caused by a snowball fight. However, it's pretty obvious that during a snowball fight, you are assuming some kind of risk of damage. This makes it pretty difficult to win a personal injury case for damages sustained during a snowball fight.
Loaded Snowballs Cause Injuries
But let's say you and a few friends decide to head out in the front yard for a snowball fight after a few glasses of eggnog. Things are going well, everyone is laughing and enjoying themselves … until the unthinkable happens. As it turns out, someone packed their snowball too tightly and hit your friend right in the glasses, causing them to shatter and cut his eye. Clearly, the person that threw the snowball is the cause of the damage here and if you are all friendly, there shouldn't be a problem solving it.
If, however, the person that threw the snowball doesn't agree to be at least partly responsible for the damages, witness statements and lawyers may be needed for your friend to recover any costs they suffered from medical bills and any time off work.
Snowball Fights in the News
It's not uncommon for snowball fights to break out in public in the northeast, which has brought about more interesting and complicated lawsuits. For instance, in 2010 a New York police officer was sued by a group of young men after pulling his gun on them and forcing them to the ground after being hit by a stray snowball while off-duty. No one was hurt but the men were all arrested under weapons charges. There are countless instances of a stray snowballs hitting the wrong person and costing them a court date or time in jail.
While snowball fights seem innocent and harmless, not having good aim can really end up costing a lot. Try to be aware of your surroundings when participating in a snowball fight. The last thing you'd want is to walk away with a criminal record or even a lost friendship. However, if you think you may have a case, look for a personal injury attorney in an area near you.
Share10 February 2016
When I was injured in a slip and fall accident a few years ago, my family and friends had a hard time relating to the things I was going through. While some people thought that my decision to file a lawsuit was frivolous, others were under the impression that I would walk away as a millionaire. Their lack of personal experience with this type of legal problem left me feeling alone during one of the most difficult times in my life. That is why I decided to start this blog so that accident victims from all over would have somewhere to come to get the information and support that they need. I truly hope that this page can be that place for you.