How To Determine Liability In A Winter Car Accident

You can’t control the weather, no driver can but you need to go to work regardless. When the weather makes it bad to drive in, you may increase your chances of being in an accident by losing control of your own vehicle. When an accident happens while the road conditions are poor, who accepts responsibility for the accident and any injuries caused by it?

How Is Fault Determined?

Some poor road conditions include
• White out conditions
• Black ice
• Snowy roads
And any of these can make driving dangerous because you lose control of your vehicle. Whether you hit the brakes too hard or there is a layer of ice on the road surface that won’t allow your car to stop in time, poor road conditions can be hazardous. There are several precautions that you can take to ensure a safer drive in bad weather. These include:
• Having the right tires on your vehicle so there is enough tread to grip the road
• Checking and maintaining your brakes to ensure that they don’t grab and they work correctly
• Ensuring that your windshield wipers are in good working condition
• Ensuring that your lights all work on dim and bright.
If an accident happens in bad weather conditions, a majority of insurance companies will settle with a no-fault accident for both parties involved. Unless there is something else that caused the accident, such as drinking and driving.

What Happens Next?

No-Fault Accident

With a no-fault accident, the insurance company will obtain the information, assign a claims adjuster to your case, and handle everything that occurred with that accident to the policy holder.

One-Fault Accident

When someone is believed to be at fault when driving, they are solely responsible for covering all expenses done to property, the other party’s medical expenses, loss of wages, and any other expense associated with it. With a no-fault accident, the insurance company is only responsible for the damages done by their policy holder including property damage, damage done to their vehicle, and any injuries he/she sustained.

Avoiding Winter Car Accidents

The best way to avoid winter car accidents is to follow these important tips:
Tip #1: Don’t go out unless you absolutely have to. Many businesses will shut down if the storm is too bad. Always call ahead and make sure that the place you work at or are going to is open
Tip #2: Winterize your vehicle: to do this, you will need to have a mechanic check all liquids inside the engine and make sure that everything is working as it should
Tip #3: Always wipe off the headlights before you start out to ensure that they are completely visible and no snow, ice, or dirt is blocking the beam.
Tip #4: Make sure that your tires have the proper amount of pressure inside. The weather can cause the tires to deflate a little which can affect how your vehicle drives.
Tip #5: drive slow and exercise complete caution; don’t worry about your phone ringing or getting something to eat on the drive there. Focus completely on the road.
If you are in an accident, call a personal injury lawyer in Richmond Hill. You want to be represented by someone that is an expert in the field. The accident can become your worst nightmare if both parties are injured or if you cause the accident and the other person gets hurt. The same goes if you are the one that gets hurt; you want to get the justice you deserve as soon as possible.

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