Hurricane season is here, earlier and more destructive than ever. With climate change and increasingly unpredictable weather, it’s important for you and your family to think about preparing for them. While you need to be aware of safety concerns, it’s also essential to understand legal contingencies related to extreme weather and dealing with potential damages.
How to Stay Safe
The most important step in staying safe is to follow the directions of local authorities. They will keep you updated on weather conditions. According to the National Weather Service, it’s important to have a family emergency plan and ensure everyone in your family understands what it entails. Before a hurricane, you should assemble emergency supplies, including flashlights and a basic disaster kit. Storm shutters and plywood are also essentials to cover windows.
If not ordered to evacuate during the event, stay away from windows and find shelter in a small, interior room with no windows. Remember that there will be a period of calm when the eye passes over the area, but the winds and storms will resume after the eye has passed.
Ensure you know where to turn off your house’s gas, electricity, and water. You’d be surprised how many people don’t know how to locate these. Depending on the situation, you may need to shut off these main utility sources.
Your Legal Rights and Obligations
Obligations to Invitees on Your Property
While homeowners aren’t generally responsible for injuries caused during a storm, Texas law requires property owners to keep their premises reasonably safe for those they invite in. For example, if you are going to reopen a business after a hurricane, you need to remove or clean up parking lot debris. Make sure your property is safe before you have invitees, as you owe them the highest duty of legal care.
Contractual Obligations
It’s important to review your contracts if you own a business. Specifically, contracts with vendors, suppliers, and other service providers may include so-called “force majeure” clauses that detail how to deal with hurricane-related emergencies. Force Majeure clauses excuse a performing party from meeting its contractual obligations due to unforeseen events. A Houston personal injury lawyer can help you understand the terms of your contracts.
Insurance Requirements
It’s important to review your insurance coverage as it may include coverage limits, exclusions, and deductibles that come into play during a hurricane event. If you’re a business owner, it’s important to consider business interruption insurance ahead of time to cover potential income losses due to business disruptions caused by hurricanes.
Employment and Labor Laws
Your employer may be required to provide training on proper evacuation procedures and otherwise comply with applicable labor and employment laws related to hurricanes and disasters. Specifically, your employer may be required to compensate you during business closures caused by the hurricane or to offer you compensation if you’re injured while performing job duties amid dangerous conditions.
Contact Lopez Franco
The law firm of Lopez Franco is your legal advocate for any type of personal injury. From catastrophic injuries to oil field injuries, we have the expertise to help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today.