For the second time in just over a month, car accidents caused by freezing fog made driving treacherous around St. Joseph. Several crashes lead to numerous personal injuries as drivers skidded off the roads. One of these accidents proved to be fatal.
Freezing Fog Causes Car Accidents, Again
This is the second time this winter that the western Missouri area has been beset with freezing fog.
Back in early December, freezing fog caused a fatal truck accident just outside St. Joseph, when a teen driver lost control of her Jeep and got hit by a tractor-trailer.
Just this week, winter storm Jupiter brought weather conditions that led to similar road hazards. The air was humid, but was also lingering right on the freezing mark. This resulted in fog that would freeze as soon as it touched a solid object, effectively coating the roads with a slick surface while still drastically reducing visibility.
The results were numerous car accidents in the St. Joseph area. One of these was a fatal accident in central Platte County. A 1986 Chevrolet El Camino hit an icy patch on Route 92, sliding sideways and into the path of an oncoming car. The driver of the El Camino died at the scene of the crash. The other driver was rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Personal Injury Lawsuits from Weather-Related Crashes
Just because you got hurt in a car accident that was weather-related does not mean you can’t get compensation for your injuries. When the weather is bad and makes it dangerous to be on the road, other drivers are supposed to slow down and be extra careful. Many weather-related car accidents happen precisely because someone else didn’t do this. This oversight on their part can make them negligent, allowing you to get compensated for the injuries that they caused.
However, these lawsuits are often tricky. For example, the speed limit on the highway might be 60 mph, but going that fast during a snow storm is dangerous. Nevertheless, if you get hit and seriously hurt by someone driving 60 in a snow storm, they might point out that they were, technically, driving legally.
While they may be right, that does not make it the end of the story. It just takes more to show that the way they were driving – despite being at or under the speed limit – was negligent for the conditions.
St. Joseph Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
The car accident and personal injury attorneys at the Smith Law Office know this, and can help you get the compensation you need after a weather-related car accident. By conducting their own investigation into the crash, the attorneys at the Smith Law Office can find concrete evidence that the driver who hit you was acting negligently. This can make the difference between having to pay for your own medical bills and getting the compensation that you deserve.
Contact our St. Joseph law office online or at (816) 875-9373.