The last three days have dumped 30 inches of snow on Syracuse. And lots of snow usually translates into lots of car accidents. This storm is no exception. The Syracuse Post Standard today reports that between midnight and 2 p.m. last night, 150 car were involved in crashes inside the city of Syracuse!
So does what do New York car accident lawyers, judges and juries say about that? Does a snow storm excuse a driver who loses control of his car and crashes into someone? Absolutely not! (Well, usually not).
Make no mistake; even if snow is a contributing factor in these car accidents, the drivers are usually at fault. A driver is required to drive at a speed that is safe for the weather conditions. If the roads are snowy and slippery, guess what? You have to drive slower. Not only that, you have to leave more space between you and the car in front so you have more time to stop. Duh! And another thing; you can’t drive with your windows fogged up and snow clinging to your windshield, crash into some other guy, and then claim it was the storm’s fault.
So listen to the advice of this Syracuse car accident lawyer. Really, I am trying to do you a favor. Start out to work early so you won’t have to rush. Take the extra time to brush the snow off your car and defog your windshield. Then head to work at a crawl-pace. Patience! That’s what you need. Give yourself lots of time to get there. You won’t regret it, because you won’t have to worry about me suing you.
Yes, that’s right. I have brought many claims against drivers like you, who are otherwise really nice people, but who just didn’t take the time to drive correctly in the snow. When we get to Court, your insurance company’s lawyers might try to blame it on the snow, “an act of god”, he will say. But I don’t buy that, and in my experience, neither do most juries. Sure, the snow made the accident more likely to happen, but it is hard to get around the legal charge that a driver is required to maintain control of his vehicle and reduce his speed commensurate with the prevailing weather conditions.
Keep safe!
Mike Bersani
Email me at: bersani@mbk-law.com I’d love to hear from you!
Michael G. Bersani, Esq.
mbk-law.com
Central NY Personal Injury Lawyer Michaels Bersani Kalabanka
1-315-253-3293