Kansas City had a relatively quiet early spring, but now the weather is acting up to make up on lost time. Heavy rainfall has battered all corners of the city recently, and several areas have been issued periodic flashflood warnings. Authorities are urging residents in both Kansas and Missouri to exercise extreme caution and prioritize safety at all times to help avoid bad accidents and injuries related to the storm.
Here at DiPasquale Moore, we want everyone in our communities to stay safe and avoid trouble as Kansas City rides out this multi-cell storm, which still has more days of harsh weather forecasted. Please take a look at this quick list of must-know safety tips to help protect yourself and your family from harm.
Safe Driving During Rough Weather
The best tip you can get about driving during a severe storm is to just not do it. Unless your trip is necessary, see if you can postpone it until the weather lets up. In case you do need to drive, look up alternative routes beforehand to account for potential road closures not yet announced in the news or your GPS app. Lastly but perhaps most importantly, never attempt to drive through standing water. It is impossible to accurately gauge the depth and swiftness of floodwater, so any amount poses a significant drowning hazard.
If you get into a car accident during the harsh weather, try to proceed as you would under normal conditions by taking photographs, collecting identifying information, getting copies of police reports, and accepting emergency medical care as needed. Beware that insurance companies might try to blame your crash on the storm to sidestep giving you an insurance payout, citing obscure “act of God” clauses. To make certain your accident claim is filed correctly, and that the responding insurance companies respect it, we highly recommend you call our car accident lawyers at (816) 888-7500 after a crash.
Home Safety When the Storm Comes
Make your home storm-ready ahead of time by compiling an emergency safety kit large enough to accommodate all members of your family. The kit should include at least bottled drinking water, nonperishable foods for both people and pets, first-aid supplies, blankets, flashlights, and a radio with spare batteries. Create an evacuation plan in case you are ordered by a government agency to evacuate your home. Share this plan with all members of your family, taking extra time to ensure your children understand what they need to do in case of an emergency.
On-the-Job Safety: Beware of Slip Hazards
Whether you are a member of a construction team, an independent contractor out in the field, or a cashier at a retail store, you have to be extra careful of jobsite dangers when the weather gets rough. The biggest new danger brought on by the heavy Kansas City storms right now will definitely be added slip hazards. Innocuous looking puddles can send you slipping or tumbling, suffering a serious workplace injury. Pay attention to areas near doors and windows where water can collect and report any slip hazards you notice immediately to your supervisor, who should take action to correct it.
In case you are hurt on-the-job, you should be entitled to some workers’ compensation to help cover your damages. However, workers’ comp rarely compensates an injured worker to a fair, full extent. If there is reason to believe your employer or another third party acted egregiously negligent and that caused your workplace injury, then a workplace injury lawsuit might be in order. For example, imagine if you reported a slip hazard in the rain to your supervisor on a construction site, but they just told you to “try to work around it.” Slipping and getting hurt later would be caused in large part due to their irresponsible directions and lack of safety precautions, likely warranting an injury claim.
The Kansas City Injury Law Firm You Can Trust
Even with extra precautions taken during the bad storm cells washing over Kansas City, you never know when an accident caused by someone else’s negligence might occur. In case you do get hurt on the road, at work, or even in your own home and you think someone else caused it, call (816) 888-7500 to connect with DiPasquale Moore today. We offer FREE consultations to people throughout Kansas City who have been wrongfully injured and need help seeking fair compensation.