Sometimes, adverse weather conditions can contribute to car accidents. When this happens, how does it affect liability? Can you still hold another driver liable if poor weather played a role in the accident? Luckily, you can. Poor weather alone isn’t enough to absolve a negligent driver of their liability in an Illinois car crash.
Weather Conditions that Contribute to Car Accidents in Illinois
Illinois drivers must contend with various extreme weather conditions that can contribute to car accidents. Some of the weather conditions that play a role in auto accidents include:
- Snow and Ice – Slippery conditions increase the distance vehicles need to stop, making rear-end accidents more likely. Vehicles can also lose traction and slide into other traffic lanes or off the road entirely. Drivers should exercise additional caution when driving in winter weather conditions.
- Heavy Rain – Heavy rain can make the road surface slippery, leading to hydroplaning accidents. It can also reduce visibility, making it harder for drivers to see road hazards.
- Fog – As with heavy rain, fog can reduce a driver’s visibility, leading to an increase in collisions. While headlights and brake lights can keep cars visible in these conditions, pedestrians and cyclists are at particular risk.
- High Winds – Wind can significantly impact large trucks, like tractor-trailers. High winds hitting the side of a box trailer can cause rollover accidents that put other motorists in harm’s way. Depending on the strength of the wind, it can also push smaller vehicles around, leading to other accidents.
Establishing Negligence When Weather Conditions Contributed to an Accident
When weather conditions play a role in a car accident, it’s still important to establish whether there were any negligent parties. For example:
- Was the driver who crashed into you driving too fast for the road conditions?
- Was the driver who rear-ended you following too closely for the weather conditions?
- Was the driver who caused the accident not using their headlights when visibility was low?
- Did the company responsible for clearing snow and ice from the roads do so adequately and in a timely manner?
In most cases, even when inclement weather played a role in the crash, there’s still a party whose negligence was the primary cause. Most of the time, this negligent party is another driver who didn’t adjust their driving to the weather.
To prove the at-fault party’s negligence in your case, you’ll need to show that they acted in a way that put others in danger. For example, going 70 miles per hour on I-80 may be acceptable under normal conditions, but in a heavy storm, drivers should exercise caution and slow down. A driver who doesn’t slow down could be found negligent for causing a resulting accident.
Contact an Illinois Car Accident Lawyer
If you suffered an injury in a car accident involving poor weather conditions, call Bonifield & Rosenstengel at 618-277-7740 or contact us online for a free consultation with an experienced lawyer. We’ll review your case, explain your legal options, and identify the liable parties who may owe you compensation.