Ice Storms, Winter Weather, and Car accidents

Every winter there is an uptick in the number of new client calls to Virginia, Maryand, and Washignton, D.C. injury lawyers. Invariably there has been a recent change in the weather (for the worse), and someone has been involved in an accident. In some areas of the country the general popuilation knows how to handle the winter weather, and they prepare for it. In the mid-atlantic states of Virginia, Maryland and in Washington D.C, where some winters may not receive any snow or ice, the general poulation is usually not prepared, and nor sufficiently experienced in winter driving. This is especially true during the first winter weather event of the season.

Despite the increase in calls of people seeking the help of lawyers after an accident, unfortunately the weather plays a large role in whether a case is accepted. When someone claims there was black ice, or some other road condition that contributed to the accident, it becomes an uphill battle to prove that the other driver was responsibile, especially when the police report clearly identifies the roads as wet, icy or snow covered.  For this reason, there is a need to look beyond the road conditions, to the actual driving of the defendant to determine whether he or she should be held responsible. Was the other driver speeding? This would be especially dangerous on snowy or icy roads. Was the other driver attempting to perform some maneuver which regardless of the weather conditions would be negligent? Was the other driver’s windshield and windows free of ice and snow? If visibility is an issue, this might be the key to the case.  It makes complete sense to consult with a lawyer following an accident, and especially so after a weather related accident. The best advise is what your parents likely told you, stay off the roads during bad weather and slow down.

Related posts:

1. Fatalities on Virginia Roads -2007
2. Fairfax Virginia Motorcycle-Car accident – $35,000 Settlement
3. Alexandria Car Accident Lawyers – Alexandria Car Accident Statistics
4. Top 5 Adult Driver Actions Contributing to Crashes
5. Top 5 Mature Driver Actions Contributing to Crashes

Tags: car accidents, ice storms, winter weather

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 at 9:21 am and is filed under Library. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.