Steps to Take Following a Car Accident Involving Bad Weather in Prince William County

Car accidents can be overwhelming enough without the added complication of inclement weather. There are certain steps to take following a car accident involving bad weather in Prince William County that could make the whole ordeal easier. A capable car accident attorney could walk you through those steps and pursue a positive outcome for you. If you have been involved in a bad weather accident, speak with an attorney that could advocate for you.

Initial Steps Following an Accident

When a person is involved in an accident triggered by severe conditions, one of the first steps to take following a car accident involving bad weather in Prince William County a person should take involves calling the police. If they are injured, they should call for help and get an ambulance as soon as possible if they think they need one. If there are conditions such as ice on the road, then they should let the police officers know where the ice is and where their car slid, so that those police officers can prevent other drivers from having the same type of accident.

If there is severe wind, they should get off the road because a particular gust of wind could push the vehicle off the road or slide it into another vehicle’s lane, creating an accident. If there is hail, it should be obvious to them that they would want to protect their windshield because that would be the first thing that would get cracked. In the event of significant hail, they should get their car under some sort of cover. Hail usually does not last very long, so they can wait it out. If the conditions on the road are not safe for them to drive, then they should avoid driving altogether and figure out another way to get home or get to where they need to be.

Assignment of Fault in Bad Weather Collisions

Throughout Virginia, there is a contributory negligence standard, which means that if someone is any percent negligent or any percent responsible for the accident, then they cannot collect damages from the other driver in the accident. If the weather conditions were very dangerous and both cars were sliding in the road before the accident, it could be very difficult to assign any fault, let alone 100% of the fault, to one driver. If it was very dangerous weather conditions and both their car and the other driver’s car slid, the court or a jury could find that both drivers were negligent and, regardless of the injuries that the drivers have, neither party would be able to recover from the other driver.

Often, drivers will try to deny liability for causing the accident and blame it on the weather or some sort of unpredictable natural event. However, it will depend on the court whether someone can indeed blame happenstance for the accident. Often, the judge or jury will find that the fact that the driver drove in a dangerous condition is evidence of negligence, and they therefore assumed the risk of the dangerous weather by choosing to be in the car.

Evidence in Bad Weather Accidents

One of the most important steps to take following a car accident involving bad weather in Prince William County is collecting evidence. Evidence of weather conditions that caused the accident can include witnesses and other drivers who experienced similar weather events like the accident in question. The plaintiff may also show the weather for that day or show that there was a storm moving through the county or through the town. They can show via weather reports if any particular areas of Prince William County were flooded to show that there were unsafe conditions on the road.

Protective Measures to Take to Avoid Prince William’s County Bad Weather Accidents

While it is important to know what steps to take following a car accident involving bad weather in Prince William County, it is also important for individuals to know what measures they can take to protect themselves. To protect themselves from weather-related accidents, a person can get proper chains for their car that can help them traverse the snow. They can get special tires that have better grip and are more prepared for snow. They can get a car that is equipped with four-wheel drive that can help when only two wheels are used to propel the vehicle forward. A four-wheel drive allows the car to have a more balanced control over the road. It does use more gas, but it is safer. They also can use high beams to see farther into the distance or to see how bad the fog has become. If an individual wants to know more about what steps to take following an accident, they should speak with a seasoned attorney that could answer their questions.