Posted on Sunday, December 10th, 2023 at 9:00 am
The holiday season is supposed to be a joyful time filled with merriment, love, and peace. However, sometimes the Grinch reigns supreme in Georgia, and an accident puts a damper on the holiday spirit. Accidents are common during the holiday season, which means accident-related personal injury lawsuits are also common.
At Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C., we’ve identified the two most common types of holiday lawsuits and the two most bizarre holiday lawsuits.
The Two Most Common Types of Holiday Lawsuits
Although everyone wants to celebrate with their loved ones and spread peace and love throughout the holiday season, many things can go wrong during the holidays, from cooking disasters and Christmas tree fires to drink-driving crashes and premises liability accidents. When you travel or welcome people into your home or business, there is always the chance that something could go wrong, especially when you or other property owners don’t do their due diligence. These are the two most common types of holiday lawsuits around the holiday season.
Car Accident Lawsuits
Drunk and impaired driving accidents are prevalent around the holidays. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate a surge in accidents involving impaired drivers between the Christmas and New Year holidays. Thanksgiving is another holiday ripe for drunk driving-related crashes and fatalities.
Sometimes, the best way to recover the compensation you deserve following a crash with an impaired driver is by filing a personal injury lawsuit. Personal injury lawsuits against at-fault drivers and insurance companies are common around and just after the holidays. Accepting a speedy settlement from an insurer after a holiday accident seems like a great way to get the money you need to get back on your feet financially during a stressful and cash-strapped holiday. However, accepting an initial settlement offer is seldom in your best interest. It’s always worth discussing your situation with an experienced personal injury attorney if you get hurt by a careless traveler or drunk driver over the holidays.
Premises Liability Lawsuits
The holidays are a busy time of the year. We have many more people than usual in our homes this time of year, whether they’re friends, family, or holiday visitors. Businesses also welcome more customers through their doors. This increased foot traffic over the holidays can result in more premises liability lawsuits, mainly because of slip-and-fall accidents.
Even in Georgia, where we seldom see snow, it’s still possible that there could be rain and cooler temperatures. Around this time of the year, businesses can face increased slip-and-fall claims over uncleaned spills, ice, rain, or sleet left on walkways, store aisles packed with merchandise, and other potential tripping hazards. Homeowners face some of the same environmental hazards, such as ice or rainwater on their walkways and unruly cords that power their outdoor holiday displays.
As a property owner, take proactive steps to monitor and maintain your property and promptly address all potential safety hazards to protect your guests and yourself. People involved in a slip-and-fall accident should immediately report the incident, document the scene, and talk to a skilled Georgia personal injury attorney about their options for recovering compensation.
The Two Most Bizarre Holiday Lawsuits
Mundane is not a word most people would use to describe the holiday season. That is particularly true for these bizarre but actual holiday lawsuits.
Make It Stop
If you have ever worked in retail over the holiday season, you know how tiresome it can be to listen to the same Christmas tracks repeatedly blaring through the loudspeakers. However, would you consider that cruel and unusual punishment? One group of Arizona prison inmates thought so.
The infamous so-called “toughest sheriff in America,” Joe Arpaio, would force inmates to listen to Christmas music up to 12 hours per day. Some inmates filed lawsuits against the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The inmates claimed in their lawsuits that their treatment by the Sheriff’s Office violated their rights.
Arizona courts ended up dismissing the cases. However, Joe Arpaio continued to make headlines for his treatment of Arizona inmates and would go on to face multiple lawsuits over his treatment of those incarcerated in Maricopa County.
The Trouble with Turkey
Chances are, a turkey has graced your Thanksgiving dinner table sometime over the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas. One year, Greenberg Smoked Turkeys, Inc. decided their turkey recipe was so unique and special that they filed a lawsuit against competitor Goode-Cooke, Inc., claiming copyright infringement.
The crux of their argument was that Goode-Cooke, Inc. copied their cooking instructions. Can you copyright a recipe? Do the cooking instructions for a turkey fundamentally change depending on who sells the bird? These are all excellent questions. However, after the lawsuit’s announcement, Goode-Cooke removed the instruction from its website.
Get Help from a Trusted Georgia Personal Injury Attorney
You don’t have to have a bizarre case to get help from an experienced Georgia personal injury attorney. If you are hurt due to the actions of a careless individual, the legal team at Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. can help.
Call our office at (770) 205-8827 for a free initial case review.
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