What if a snow plow hits your car or mailbox this winter? What are your rights?
It’s that time of year when snowplows will be seen everywhere across Upstate New York and Pennsylvania. Street parking becomes an issue and alternate street parking becomes the norm.
So what happens if a snow plow hits your car or what we hear often, mows over your mailbox?
The law for snowplows is pretty tough. I’m not sure if I agree with it but just like you, I’m stuck with it nonetheless. So, there’s not much recourse.
What this means is that you have to show that they recklessly caused harm when snowplowing. And that’s a very difficult standard. To prove someone was reckless when they were plowing the roads isn’t an easy thing. It’s not like it is for standard drivers of other vehicles like you and me.
People are always emailing me or asking me during my live radio shows, what about my mailbox?
They ran over my mailbox! It’s very common unfortunately. A mailbox is another issue where plows are constantly taking out mailboxes because of negligence. But under even those circumstances when they’re doing their plowing, you have to be able to prove that they were reckless, and believe it or not, it’s a tough thing to prove.
I suppose the only glass half full attitude here is, it’s a mailbox or metal, which can both be replaced. An accident where someone is injured or worse is a whole different story and the law DOES protect you in those instances including snowplows. You should always call an attorney who focuses on personal injury if this happens. You never want to go it alone.
Joe Stanley is a personal injury attorney who’s part of the Team at Stanley Law. Stanley Law has offices across Upstate NY and Pennsylvania including direct offices in Syracuse, Watertown, Binghamton, Rochester, and Montrose, PA. If you have any questions or accidents relating to snowplows or any other serious injury, slip and fall, worker’s compensation question, car crash question, please don’t hesitate to email me Joe directly at Joe@StanleyLawOffices.com or call the 1-800-608-3333 and we’ll get to work on your behalf. Stanley Law is there for you.
