When you get into a car accident in Florida in bad weather like a severe storm, you might wonder whether you can hold the other driver liable for the crash. Drivers can bear liability in bad weather accidents if they neglect to adjust their driving behaviors. Injured accident victims have the option of seeking compensation for their resulting expenses or losses.
Florida’s Weather Conditions and Their Impact on Driving
Florida frequently sees severe weather conditions, particularly in the hot and humid summer. Severe or adverse weather conditions, such as high winds, heavy rain or fog, hail, and significant weather events like tornadoes and hurricanes, can make driving dangerous. Inclement weather can reduce visibility, make road surfaces slippery to increase braking distances, or leave standing puddles of water on the road that can cause vehicles to hydroplane.
Determining Liability in Weather-Related Accidents
You might assume that a car accident in bad weather means no one bears liability for the crash—after all, no one can control the weather. However, drivers may still bear fault for car accidents that occur in adverse weather conditions when they fail to adjust their driving behaviors to compensate for the hazardous conditions. For example, a driver who does not slow down or increase their following distance may still bear liability for a car crash even if they obeyed the speed limit and followed the usual “three-second rule” when keeping distance from the vehicle ahead.
Insurance Considerations
Does liability insurance cover weather-related accidents?
After a weather-related car accident in Florida, you may have the option to seek financial recovery for your injuries and losses through insurance claims. First, you can seek compensation by filing a claim against your policy’s personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. In Florida, PIP provides medical and lost-wage benefits regardless of fault for a car accident. If your injuries meet Florida’s serious injury threshold, you may also pursue a claim against the other driver if they played a role in causing a bad-weather car accident.
Legal Options for Affected Parties
Depending on the circumstances of the accident, people who suffer injuries and property damage in weather-related car accidents may have several avenues for seeking compensation. First, injured car occupants can turn to their no-fault insurance coverage, such as PIP or optional collision or comprehensive coverage, to seek compensation for medical bills, lost income, and vehicle repairs. However, when a driver’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident, injury victims may have the right to pursue liability claims against that at-fault driver.
Preventative Measures and Safety Tips
Drivers can reduce their risk of getting into an auto accident when driving in bad Florida weather conditions by following several safety tips:
- Slow down, even if that means driving below the speed limit. Poor visibility means you have less warning to slow down, swerve, or stop to avoid accidents. Roads made slick by storms also make controlling your vehicle more challenging.
- Increase your following distance so you have more room to brake and stop in low visibility or slick road conditions.
- Plan your route before you leave, checking road and traffic conditions for backups or flooded streets. Stay away from a flooded street.
- Give yourself extra time to get to your destination so you don’t feel pressured to speed up if you encounter traffic or other adverse conditions.
Contact Our Pensacola Car Accident Attorney for Help
If you suffered personal injuries in a car accident caused in part by bad weather, talk to an experienced Florida weather accident liability lawyer about your rights to pursue compensation. Contact Cardoso Law, PLLC, today to discuss your legal options in a free consultation with a knowledgeable Pensacola car accident attorney.
