Syracuse, New York: Car Accidents In The Rain

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Best Lawyer in America and an American Institute of Trial Lawyers Litigator of the Year, Has Spent His Entire Career Fighting for The Rights of Car Crash Victims. If You Have Been Injured in a Syracuse or Onondaga County Collision That Was Not Your Fault, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You File a Personal Injury Lawsuit and Begin Asserting Your Rights to a Fair Recovery.

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Harsh weather is a reality of life in Upstate New York, but you do not have to accept another driver’s excuse of high wind or heavy rain in place of fair compensation.

Since 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has fought to protect the rights of car crash victims throughout the region. If you or a loved one has been injured in a rainy-day accident that was not your fault, our experienced team of personal injury lawyers could help obtain the compensation you need to begin moving forward.

Please send us a message online, or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your free consultation and find out how much your case could be worth.

How Inclement Weather Causes Collisions

Any significant change in conditions raises motorists’ risk of being involved in an accident.

Collisions typically surge in winter, but remain high throughout the remainder of the year. On rainy days, the relative risk of an accident can increase by up to 10%, with higher rates associated with higher levels of rainfall.

Aside from limiting visibility, rain can pose a hazard by:

1. Reducing even well-maintained vehicles’ ability to brake within a safe distance;
2. Exacerbating the risk of hydroplaning, a phenomenon in which poorly-treaded tires lose traction on wet and water-covered surfaces; and
3. Flooding roads and otherwise damaging transportation infrastructure.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, these hazards can have a profound effect on road safety. An estimated 75% of all weather-related accidents occur on wet pavement, with nearly 50% reporting during or shortly after periods of intense rainfall.

5 Ways Negligence Contributes to Rain-Related Accidents

Some rain-related accidents are solely attributable to weather, but many are influenced by risk factors that are more to do with other drivers’ decisions than precipitation.

In New York, everyone with a license has a duty of care to their fellow motorists. The duty of care can take many different forms, but it most often means making a good-faith effort to both respect the rules of the road and to avoid acting in a way likely to cause an accident. Drivers breach their duty of care when they are negligent.

Some of the most common examples of rain and weather-related negligence include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Driving too fast for conditions;
2. Failing to use their headlights when it is raining;
3. Not using their windshield wipers, or using windshield wipers that are too old to function as intended;
4. Operating a vehicle that has inadequate brakes, insufficient tire tread, or other defects that could compromise its safety; and
5. Taking the wheel while drowsy, distracted, or intoxicated.

If and when a driver breaches their duty of care, they could cause an accident and may be found liable for the costs of any resulting collision. Please send us a message online, or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to an attorney and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation.

Your Rights After Being Injured in a Syracuse Car Crash

Accidents may be more common on rainy days than dry days, but inclement weather is never an adequate excuse for an act of negligence. If you have sustained serious injuries in an accident that you did not cause, you could be entitled to compensation.

However, your rights and your options for recovery could be contingent on being able to establish the following:

1. The at-fault driver owed you a duty of care;
2. The at-fault driver breached their duty of care by acting negligently; and
3. The other driver’s negligence caused you to sustain serious injuries.
4. You suffered any combination of economic and non-economic damages payable by a New York court.

Each of these elements may seem deceptively easy to prove, but insurance companies will often go to great lengths to preserve their profit margins even when that means whittling away at your right to a fair recovery.

3 Steps You Need to Take to Protect Your Right to Recovery

If you have been seriously hurt or have other reasons to believe that you will need resources beyond what your own insurance company can provide, you cannot afford to take chances with your recovery. You should protect your claim by:

1. Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Even if you have already been to the hospital, ensure that you follow your doctor’s instructions to the letter;
2. Collecting and protecting any evidence that could be relevant to your case. This could include pictures you took from the accident site, making sure that you have saved the phone numbers of any potential eyewitnesses, and placing your medical records and receipts in an easily accessible location; and
3. Remaining skeptical of insurance adjusters, including adjusters from your own company. You should never agree to provide a recorded statement or consider signing an initial offer of settlement without having an attorney present to review the details.

Car Accident Damages in Upstate New York: What You Could Obtain After Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit

New York law does not limit damages in most car accident claims.

Depending on the circumstances of your Syracuse car crash, you could receive compensation for damages, including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Your existing medical bills;
2. Your long-term and anticipated care needs;
3. The costs of physical rehabilitation;
4. The costs of reconstructive surgery and certain elective procedures;
5. The income you have lost from work while in recovery;
6. Diminished earning potential;
7. Pain and suffering;
8. Loss of enjoyment;
9. Disfigurement; and
10. The wrongful death of close family members who were hurt in the same accident.

You do not have to leave your recovery in the hands of an insurance company more interested in protecting its shareholders’ financial interests than your well-being.

A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. knows what it takes to ensure that our clients obtain the resources they need to begin rebuilding their lives after an accident, and we have the results to prove it.

Send us a message online today or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a car crash lawyer near Syracuse and schedule your free consultation as soon as possible.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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