Winter precipitation has begun to fall in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. While all of the snow can make the natural scenery of the city more beautiful, all of the rain and sleet that often accompanies the white fluff can make roadways slippery and area bridges particularly treacherous.
Drivers operating their vehicles just north of Chicago experienced many car accidents during the latest weather event. One woman was even killed when she was thrown from her vehicle and she flew under another car. Approximately a dozen and a half other individuals were taken to area hospitals with crash-related injuries and six of those people have been listed in critical condition.
Any car accident can cause a driver or passenger to suffer serious injury but slippery driving conditions can make such accidents considerably more prevalent. Some slippery conditions, such as black ice, do not look like hazards until a driver as already made the mistake of speeding over them.
Though an individual cannot pursue legal claims against a weather event, individuals who are injured by the negligence or recklessness of others drivers who cause accidents in bad weather can usually seek damages against those who caused their injuries. Compensable damages can include medical expenses, lost wages, actual damages and others.
As Chicago residents take to the roads and battle both traffic and Mother Nature, some many notice other drivers failing to yield the proper respect to dangerous, slippery roads. Though no one wants to suffer an injury from a car accident, Chicago area accident lawyers can help victims of these incidents recover their damages and enforce their legal rights.
Source: NBC 5 Chicago, “Snow causes dozens of accidents in SE Wis.,” Dec. 8, 2013
