South Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Inclement weather should prompt drivers to be even more careful than they normally are behind the wheel. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident caused by adverse weather, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our highly capable Miami car accident attorneys will investigate the merits of your case and provide you with an honest assessment of your claim. You can trust that our team is committed to putting the interests of our clients first.
A new study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society found that even light rain can greatly increase your risk of being in a deadly car accident. The study examined 125,000 motor vehicle accidents in the Lower 48 states from 2006 to 2011, taking into account how many cars are on the street to determine the risk of a deadly accident. The report found that the more wet the roads are, the more dangerous they become, with rain, snow and ice increasing the risk of fatal wrecks by about 34 percent. In fact, even when it is merely drizzling, the risk of a deadly car accident increases by 27 percent. One of the main takeaways from the study is that while people tend to slow down and drive carefully when it is raining heavily, they under-appreciate the risk of light rain.
Rain is one of the top causes of car accidents. Drivers can skid and lose control of their vehicles on rainy days more so than on days when the road is dry. Driving in the rain also reduces a driver’s visibility, which can be very dangerous. For these reasons, drivers are expected to be extra careful behind the wheel when it is raining. Among other things, this includes driving at a safe speed, turning your headlights on and refraining from following another vehicle too closely.
When a driver causes an accident by driving carelessly in rainy conditions, he or she may be held accountable through a negligence lawsuit. A negligence lawsuit is essentially a way to establish fault. Negligence is the failure to exercise reasonable care while driving, thereby causing an accident and resulting bodily injury and/or property damage. In the context of car accidents, reasonable care is defined as how a reasonably prudent person would have driven in the same or similar circumstances. For example, if a person driving in the rain causes an accident due to excessive speeding, that person will likely be considered negligent. This is because a reasonably prudent person driving in the rain would understand not to speed (let alone speed excessively) understanding the risk of an accident associated with such behavior.
Unfortunately, car accidents happen every day. When you add rain to the equation, car accidents are more likely to occur. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a negligent driver in rainy conditions, you may be able to recover compensation for your harm. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, we are committed to protecting your rights throughout the entire legal process. To discuss your case in more detail, please call our office at 1-877-499-HURT (4878) or reach out to us online.