Winter Weather Factor in Crashes?
12/28/2007
Around this time of year the number of car accidents increases. Some of the crashes are a result of alcohol and some of the crashes are a result of the treacherous winter weather. This Christmas Eve, in many areas the slushy, wet roads turned to ice when the temperature dropped to below freezing in the evening. In Kitsap County emergency dispatchers were flooded with calls. On Christmas Eve they fielded reports of about 68 traffic wrecks between the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight. A number of these accidents resulted in driver and passenger injuries.
Were you or someone you know involved in a car accident over the holidays? If so, consider speaking to an attorney today.
It's tempting for some drivers (and their insurance companies) to blame the "treacherous winter weather" for a crash. While bad conditions can certainly contribute to a collision in a causal sense, they're not an excuse. Rain, sleet, snow and ice don't obviate the duty to operate a vehicle safely and with due regard for the prevailing road conditions. Rarely if ever should claimants accept this excuse when they are injured in a car crash that wasn't their fault.
