Call Us atWeather impacts driving conditions. It can contribute to poor visibility and slippery roads. When drivers do not adjust their driving to account for weather conditions, accidents result. For example, fog reduces visibility, and rain reduces traction, causing hydroplaning. Snow and ice create slick surfaces, making it easy to lose control. High winds are hazardous for high-profile vehicles, resulting in bad weather truck accidents in Bothell.
When these accidents occur, you may face severe injuries, vehicle damage, and complicated legal claims. An experienced truck accident attorney can help navigate the legal process, ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve for your losses.
What Happens When Bad Weather Contributes to a Truck Accident?
Truck drivers have a duty of care to operate their vehicles safely, considering road and weather conditions. If visibility is poor, they should lower their speed, turn on headlights, and stay alert. If the road is covered in ice and snow, truckers may need to place chains on their tires and reduce speed. Failing to adjust their driving to address adverse conditions demonstrates negligence.
Weather conditions may influence the legal analysis of a personal injury claim, but they do not alter the fundamental principles for proving negligence. Truck drivers have a duty of care to maintain control of their vehicles, including adjusting their driving to fit the weather conditions. If drivers fail to maintain a level of care that a reasonable person would exercise in similar situations, the court may determine that they acted negligently.
To prove negligence in bad weather truck collisions in Bothell, an injured person must establish a duty of care and show the driver failed to fulfill that duty, resulting in injury. If drivers attempt to use adverse weather conditions as a defense, they must provide evidence that their actions were consistent with what a reasonable person would have done under similar circumstances.
How to Prove Negligence In a Bad Weather Truck Accident Claim
Proving negligence requires evidence that may be difficult to gather years after the accident. For example, attorneys in Bothell use the following to build a strong bad weather truck crash case:
- Police reports
- Traffic footage
- Expert opinions
- Medical records
- Witness statements
- Accident reconstruction
- Photographs and videos
Witnesses may no longer be available, or someone may have deleted traffic footage. Consulting a personal injury lawyer immediately can help ensure the evidence is gathered to prove negligence.
What Compensation is Available?
An injured person filing a claim may recover economic and noneconomic compensation. Washington does not cap these awards. However, it does not allow punitive damages. A person has up to three years from the accident date to file a claim. However, anyone injured in a truck accident should seek legal counsel as soon as possible. Failure to file within the three-year window eliminates one’s ability to recover compensation.
Economic Compensation
Financial compensation includes medical expenses such as hospital stays, rehabilitation services, and medication. It includes current and future medical costs. An injured person can recover lost wages because of an accident. They can also collect damages for future income losses if the injury prevents them from returning to their job.
Noneconomic Compensation
A person in Bothell may receive compensation for pain and suffering caused by a bad weather trucking accident. Noneconomic awards may include physical pain, emotional distress, and mental anguish. They can also include compensation for suffering caused by disfigurement and disability.
Contact Our Law Firm For Guidance on Bad Weather Truck Accidents in Bothell
Proving negligence in a trucking accident is complex if multiple parties are at fault. Our lawyers can negotiate with multiple insurance carriers or file a lawsuit if the involved parties fail to reach a settlement. We can establish fault even in challenging cases, such as bad weather truck accidents in Bothell.
Bad weather and poor driving conditions do not excuse a driver from their duty of care. If you have been in a truck accident caused by hazardous weather, reach out to Libbey Law today for experienced legal support.
