It’s winter and that means that no matter how carefully we drive there are new dangers that we have to be aware of and adjust to accordingly. If you have been injured as a result of a car accident that occurred in bad weather, you may be wondering if you have any legal options available to you. Of course, you should start by contacting a lawyer after being injured in any accident. A lawyer will review the facts and circumstances of the crash and determine the best path forward. One of the biggest benefits that lawyers provide in the aftermath of a car accident is dealing with the insurance companies and ensuring that you do not accept a lowball settlement.

Determining Liability for Snow and Ice Accidents

When snow and ice are involved in an accident, it can make it hard to feel like anyone is really at fault. However, often the accident would still have been avoidable absent the other driver’s negligence. In inclement weather situations it is negligent not to adapt to the circumstances. This means that even traveling the regular speed limit may be negligent if there is snow falling or ice visible on the ground. If the other driver was negligent, either in failing to adapt safely to the changing weather conditions, or by ignoring existing traffic laws, such as the speed limit, they may be found negligent and liable for the accident even though ice or snow were a factor.

How Comparative Negligence Affects Ice Accidents

Pennsylvania is a comparative negligence state, which means that people are only held financially accountable for the percentage of fault that they contributed to causing the accident. In a situation where ice or snow were involved it will be assessed based on the percentage amount that the other person’s action or inaction contributed to causing the accident. In some cases, there may be multiple liable parties that each share a percentage of the responsibility.

Understanding the Value of Your Claim

The best way to get an accurate understanding of the value of your claim is to talk to an attorney who can familiarize themselves with the specifics of your case. It’s also important not to consider any settlement offers from the insurance company until you have a full and thorough understanding of all of the current and future care that will be required to completely recover from your injury. Insurance companies often rush you to settle before you could possibly have an accurate understanding of the true cost of your injury and the damage to your physical property.

Talk to the O’Donnell Law Offices

If you have been injured in a Pennsylvania car accident that was not your fault, our lawyers are ready to help. Schedule a free initial consultation with the personal injury attorneys at the O’Donnell Law Offices serving clients in Kingston, Wilkes Barre, Hazleton and Pittston at 570-821-5717 or online today. There is no fee or costs until we win your case.

Comments are closed.