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Accidents of Icy Roads in Hartford, Connecticut

Icy Road Car Accidents in Hartford, CT

Icy roads are extremely dangerous because they affect the control that a driver has over their vehicle and can lead to serious injuries to anyone else involved in the vehicle collision. Often ice cannot be seen, such as black ice, so persons operating motor vehicles must be cognizant of the weather conditions and alter their driving behavior to accommodate the dangerous conditions. Also, driving in icy conditions and inclement weather requires different conduct on the part of the driver for safe operation of the vehicle. A Hartford, CT Car Accident Lawyer will be able to investigate and assess the liability of the at-fault driver and assist the injured party in regaining full compensation for any medical or loss of wage expenses.  

Driving on Icy Roads

Most people are trained that when they encounter an unsafe or hazardous condition such as ice on the roadway, they should not apply their brakes because it can cause the car to skid. Instead, drivers should stutter the use of the brake, or not brake at all, to maintain steering control of the vehicle. When a driver bears down on their brakes, the wheels lock up and the driver has no control over the vehicle. It can skid in any direction without the driver having any control. The driver can skid into vehicles in front or to the side of them, slide into oncoming traffic, or spin completely out of control. Occupants struck by a vehicle that has lost control can be seriously injured. Injuries can consist of broken bones, soft tissue injuries, or even head injuries.

Liability for Icy Road Conditions

Icy road conditions will not be a defense to liability in a Hartford, Connecticut  case because the analysis focuses on the conduct of the driver under the circumstances and conditions of the roadway. The conduct of the driver is at issue, not necessarily the icy conditions of the roadway.

If the conditions are so bad they are considered  "an act of God"  when the accident happened, the accident is considered outside the control of the driver of the vehicle. That can be used as a defense to liability in the case. However, that does not negate an analysis and investigation into the conduct of the driver, how the driver reacted to the road conditions, and whether the driver's conduct was reasonable under the circumstances given the road conditions.

For example, was the driver traveling too fast for the conditions? Did they properly brake, meaning did they stomp on the brake losing complete control of the vehicle, skidding and causing the accident? The focus is on the conduct of the driver faced with these conditions and whether they operated the motor vehicle in a safe and reasonable way by taking into account and reacting properly to the conditions on the highway. Their liability will be evaluated based on their course of action and not the icy conditions itself.

Building a Strong Claim

An attorney should be brought into the case as soon as possible to thoroughly investigate the accident. An experienced lawyer will obtain weather reports and conditions at the time of the accident, document the conditions at the time of the accident through photographs, obtain witness statements, as well as any other independent sources, such as traffic cameras, to corroborate the accident.

The investigation is extremely important so that the at-fault driver cannot use the weather and roadway conditions as a defense to the accident. Liability can be established by determining the unreasonable conduct of the driver when faced with those road conditions.

It's very important to get a Hartford, CT car accident lawyer involved as soon as possible to assist the injured party so they can be properly compensated for the injuries they have suffered. To do so means the at-fault driver must be shown negligent and did not operate their motor vehicle in a reasonable manner under the circumstances. Their negligence caused injury and the injured party suffered damages for which they are entitled to proper compensation.  

Contact Us today for a free consultation on your Hartford, Ct car accident case.

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