Car accidents can happen every day in Santa Rosa, California, even in the best of conditions. When it rains or snows, the chances of a motor vehicle accident happening are even greater. Roads can get slick and icy, and it can be more difficult for motorists to drive safely and maintain control of their vehicles. However, just because weather conditions aren’t optimal doesn’t mean you’re without recourse if you get into a crash.
Drivers assume a duty to drive safely. The lengths to which a driver must go to uphold this duty can vary, depending on the driving conditions. If it’s raining, snowing, or particularly windy, drivers should exercise additional caution to keep themselves and others safe. When another driver’s negligence causes a car accident in bad weather, they can still be liable for the wreck.
If you’ve been injured in a weather-related car accident in Santa Rosa, call Singleton Schreiber. Our car accident attorneys are fearless advocates with a multi-billion dollar track record of success. In fact, as local litigators backed by national resources, we’ve won more than $3 Billion for clients like you.
We offer a free consultation. Call our law office for help with your weather-related car accident case today.
What Types of Weather Conditions Contribute to Car Accidents?
According to the Federal Highway Association, weather is a contributing factor in 21 percent of motor vehicle accidents across the nation. These aren’t just minor fender benders, either. Research suggests that at least 418,000 people are injured and 5,000 are killed in weather-related auto accidents annually.
While several different types of weather conditions and resulting phenomena can - and do - contribute to auto accidents in Santa Rosa, the most common contributing factors include:
- Heavy rains
- Flooding
- Icy road conditions
- Fog
- High winds
- Snow
- Hail
- Sleet
- Wildfires
The more severe the weather conditions, the more likely it becomes for traffic accidents to occur on Santa Rosa roads and highways.
How Does Weather Contribute to Car Accidents?
Even relatively mild bad weather conditions can set the stage for car accidents in a busy city like Santa Rosa, as it can have a direct impact on road surfaces, traction, visibility, and other key factors in safe driving.
Vehicles Are More Likely to Hydroplane
Hydroplaning is a potentially serious event where a vehicle’s tires lose contact with the road’s surface due to rain or standing water from a recent storm. When driving, the rainwater creates a barrier between the tires and road, which makes the vehicle much more difficult to steer effectively. When tires lose traction, drivers are much more likely to lose control of their vehicles and crash.
Vehicles can begin to hydroplane at speeds approaching 30 to 35 MPH, and the risk of hydroplaning increases steadily as cars drive faster.
Increased Braking Time and Distance
Every year, wet pavement contributes to an estimated one million car accidents in the United States. When the roads are wet, vehicles can’t brake as effectively. They’ll require increased stopping distances and, in turn, more time to come to a complete stop when a driver hits the brakes.
This is one of the reasons why speeding can be so much more dangerous in bad weather conditions. Speed already increases the amount of time and space a vehicle will require to come to a complete stop, and this is only amplified when road surfaces are slick.
Limited Visibility
Motorists need to be able to see the traffic and road conditions around them to drive safely, which becomes difficult in heavy rain or when there are high winds. Winds can cause debris, dirt, and sand to obscure a driver’s field of vision, as can rain pounding on the vehicle’s windshield. When a driver can’t see, they might think it’s safe to change lanes, move through an intersection, or execute other maneuvers when it’s actually unsafe.
Difficulty Maintaining a Lane of Traffic
Most people equate bad weather with rain and snow, but wind can be just as problematic. Powerful crosswinds and gales can create tremendous sideward pressure and force on a vehicle, making it difficult for a motorist to steer their vehicle safely. In some cases, the wind can overpower the vehicle, causing a driver to lose control entirely. If a driver can’t maintain their lane of traffic, they can result in serious head-on collisions, sideswipes, and rollover collisions.
How is Liability Determined in a Weather-Related Car Accident?
Bad weather doesn’t excuse negligence. Drivers have to take extra steps to stay safe when weather conditions make collisions more likely. When a driver in bad weather decides to text or take a phone call and risk being distracted, speed, tailgate the vehicle in front of them, or drive aggressively, they breach the duty of care owed to pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists on the road.
If the driver’s negligence - their failure to exercise reasonable care during bad weather - causes a car accident in Santa Rosa, they can be liable for resulting damages.
There are times when driver negligence won’t play a part in a weather-related car accident. Auto defects and road defects can be contributing factors, too. In these situations, the company responsible for manufacturing or selling the defective auto part - like brakes or windshield wipers that fail during a rainstorm - or the government agency responsible for maintaining safe roads could be liable for a victim’s crash-related damages.
Call Singleton Schreiber For Help After a Weather-Related Car Accident in Santa Rosa
After a weather-related car accident in Santa Rosa, it’s important to assert your legal rights. It’s also important to take the time you need to recover from your injuries and figure out a path forward. Choosing Singleton Schreiber helps you maximize your recovery and invest in your future.
Our award-winning lawyers will investigate your weather-related crash, gather key evidence to support your claim, bring in experts to help us force more meaningful settlement negotiations, and put the full force of our law firm’s resources behind your fight for a top-dollar monetary award.
We’ve helped our clients win billions. Now, we’re here to make sure that you’re properly compensated after a weather-related auto accident in Sonoma County, too. You have a limited time to file a weather-related car accident claim, so don’t hesitate to call our law office for assistance today.
