While we place our trust in the other drivers on the road to compensate for bad weather, they do not always do so. If you were injured because another driver did not take the necessary steps to ensure their and your safety on the road, then you need to speak to an attorney today. A St. Louis car accidents involving bad weather lawyer can help bring your claim to court and see that your case recovers the compensation a jury deems fair.
St. Louis Roads and the Effects of Bad Weather
In crashes involving bad weather, many individuals do not respect the road conditions and travel too fast for what the road conditions will allow. If there is snow or ice on the road, people should drive slower and pay much more attention to other drivers. As a driver, you should begin applying your brakes sooner than you normally would on dry pavement when coming to a stop sign or stoplight because the chances of sliding are much greater.
Rainwater on a roadway can also make the road much more hazardous than normal. When there is rain after a long period of dry weather, the roads get slick as the oil and other fluids dropped on the roads by cars mixes with rainwater. This combination makes the roads much more slick and hazardous than they would be if they were dry. When the roads are wet, drivers should pay more attention and respect the roadways, and drive at the right speed for conditions.
A person driving in snow or on rain-slick roads may be driving the speed limit and still be driving too fast for the road conditions. Hazardous road conditions require that you utilize slower speeds in order to be driving safely for the conditions. In snowy, wet, or rainy conditions a vehicle can hydroplane, which happens when tires are unable to grip the road well and vehicles more easily slide into the path of another car or across the roadway. Hydroplaning cars can slide through a stoplight or a stop sign into the path of another car.
Additionally, in rain or snow, visibility is often a problem which means that drivers should give a greater amount of space between their cars and the vehicle in front of them so they can see when the other cars begin to slow down or stop. Allowing that extra space gives drivers the extra time they need to stop in slick conditions.
How Dangerous Weather Impacts Assignments of Fault
Part of the analysis in determining whether the weather had an impact on the accident would be to ascertain what the drivers were doing at the time of the crash and whether they were respecting the weather conditions and driving accordingly. If a driver is driving too fast for the conditions, that evidence would be an important factor in determining whether they were more at fault for the crash than you. Additionally, a jury has the right to apply percentages of fault to all individuals involved in the lawsuit.
Sometimes the weather can impact the vehicle itself:
- If there is high water on the road that can affect the ability of the car to drive appropriately through that water
- If an individual drives into deeper water on the side of the road at a higher rate of speed that is not safe for those conditions
Whether the driver had knowledge of the water on the road and how they handled that knowledge could significantly affect the assignment of fault in a car accident case in Saint Louis.
Recoverable Losses After Bad Weather Caused Your Car Wreck
When dangerous weather is a contributing factor to a car accident, a jury may consider damages such as pain and suffering, medical bills and lost wages if you are forced to miss work as a result of the crash. There could also be property damages claimed as well as a result of the crash. Speaking with St. Louis car accidents involving bad weather lawyer could illuminate what could be recovered further.
Speak with a Trial Lawyer Today
After you sustained a serious injury during your car accident, you need to speak to one of our trial lawyers. An attorney can assess your claim and determine if negligence is applicable to the wrongdoer. After this, an attorney can bring you case to court and work to help you achieve maximum recovery for your losses. Reach out to a St. Louis car accidents involving bad weather lawyer today.