You can be the safest driver in the world, but sometimes environmental factors that are out of your control can cause your accident. Black ice is particularly dangerous, as it is nearly impossible to see, yet it can cause you to slide off the road or into other vehicles. If you cause damage because of an accident on ice, you’re probably wondering if you can collect damages from it. Here’s how icy roads can impact your ability to make a claim.
Ice and Snow Can Mean You’re at Fault
It is your choice to drive during bad weather. Drivers are held accountable for going out when road conditions are less than ideal. As a car accident lawyer in Lafayette, IN from a law office like Hall-Justice Law Firm can explain, it is your responsibility to make educated and reasonable decisions before driving, as your choices can affect the safety of others. Since you actively decided to get behind the wheel when there was a chance of ice on the road, you will most likely be at fault for the damages you caused.
Other Conditions Can Clear You
While you can judge whether you want to drive in ice or snow, you cannot safely know about other hazards on the road. For example, a poorly constructed road may allow water to regularly flow onto it. When that water freezes and your accident happens because of it, the situation is not the fault of your own judgment. Instead, it is the fault of the roadway’s design. In this case, the city may be held responsible for not maintaining the road properly.
Compensation May Be Hard To Come By
If you get in an accident on ice, you may have an uphill battle fighting to get compensated. You have to prove that the ice, and therefore the accident, was the fault of someone else, and not your own judgment. If a storm was raging when you were driving, there is a good chance you won’t be able to get compensation.
Compensating the Damages of Others
If you got in an accident with another driver (such as rear-ending them because you could not stop on ice), they may be able to file a claim with your insurance. Since you were technically at fault for not taking necessary precautions in bad weather, your insurance can take the hit.
If you have any questions about your accident and if you can get damages compensated, talk to a lawyer. Living in a state that has frequent bad weather and icy storms probably means there are a lot of lawyers who have dealt with these kinds of accidents before.