In cities like San Francisco, accidents seemingly happen because of natural causes. It’s just hard to point out who was faulty when the real villain at the time is the weather. However, that’s not even the most complicated part. How does one claim compensation or prove the carelessness of another party when the causes are ‘obviously’ natural?
Weather-related accident statistics show that on average, there are 15% fatal crashes, 22% of property damage, and 19% injury crashes caused by adverse weather annually. This statistic may prove that even the best drivers may not be spared on a slippery, wet road during a rainstorm. However, not all insurance companies buy into this narrative. Of course, this puts pressure on San Francisco injury lawyers to prove who is liable in an adverse weather car accident.
How Do We Determine an Adverse Weather Accident?
It’s important to determine what we can normally classify as a weather-related accident. Different weather situations can make the road pretty unsafe for cars to drive through. Additionally, these top four factors can equally increase your chances of an auto accident during heavy or light precipitation. Still, bad weather, in general, creates hazardous situations not only on the roads but in commercial and domestic settings too.
One of the most common weather situations that cause auto-crashes and road accidents is usually snow, rain, ice, wind, and fog. These weather conditions make the road slippery, impair drivers’ vision, and make it harder for them to maintain steady control over the vehicle. All this and more makes it more challenging to determine who is at fault during an adverse weather car accident.
It’s easier to blame bad weather conditions for a car crash than determine who is at fault, except some outstanding factors are in play.
Who Is Liable for an Adverse Weather Accident?
As mentioned above, it may be easier to pin the blame on the natural acts of God as opposed to pointing out a culprit. However, there are always outstanding circumstances that can turn the odds in your favor. As tricky as it is to drive through wet and slippery grounds safely, it’s not impossible either. This means that there can always be foul play when an accident happens, the weather is not always the sole culprit.
Usually, the person who primarily caused the accident can not blame the weather for the mishap. Drivers are generally advised to stay off roads during adverse weather conditions. In fact, rain is one of the major causes of road accidents in the United States. That’s one of the reasons drivers are usually left to take sole responsibility for themselves and any passengers when a road accident does occur. The driver that loses control of their vehicle first will most likely take more responsibility for the damages caused.
While it may still seem tricky to determine who is at fault when driving in bad weather conditions, there are sure ways to determine negligence on the part of the driver at fault. Negligence simply refers to any careless or unsafe acts/practices carried out by a driver, and in this case, during dangerous weather conditions.
Here are some of the reasons a driver will be held responsible after an auto crash when driving in hazardous weather conditions.
- Driving with full knowledge of poor weather conditions.
- Driving over the speeding limit.
- Taking unsafe and accelerated turns on slippery roads.
- Not using hazard lights.
- Driving without headlights while visibility is poor.
- Tailing vehicles too closely.
Negligence can equally be determined when a driver is operating a vehicle that needs maintenance.
- Driving with malfunctioning brakes.
- Driving with worn-out tires.
- Driving with poor tail and headlights.
- Driving with faulty windshield wipers.
It doesn’t matter how well-trained or professional a driver is, anyone can fall victim while driving in poor weather conditions. The precipitation, fog, snow, lightning, and even thunder just make things more unpredictable when compared to driving in normal weather conditions. The same way it’s impossible to control the weather, is the same way a driver’s actions or even instincts are hard to predict when driving in such conditions.
Let Us Assist You With your Claim
If you, a family member, or friends have suffered any injuries due to poor weather conditions, you need a team of reliable San Francisco injury lawyers that won’t rest until you get the compensation you rightly deserve. Our team can rightly boast of board-certified lawyers who are well versed in injury claim and compensation cases just like yours.
When other drivers put others in jeopardy by driving carelessly or violating safety protocols, we are ready to help you build a case by holding them accountable. We are willing to meet up with you and come up with the best strategy that will guarantee the best possible outcome. Feel free to contact us today, or fill out our online contact form today.