Many vehicle accidents are caused by one individual driving too fast for conditions. This does not necessarily mean this driver was going faster than the posted speed limit. Instead, it means he was traveling at a speed considered risky because of the weather, visibility or another factor. A Personal Injury Lawyer in Allentown can help victims of these types of collisions obtain good financial compensation when the at-fault driver’s insurance company does not offer a reasonable settlement. The insurer may deny the claim if the at-fault driver was traveling at or below the speed limit and was not cited.
Weather
Rain can lead to slick roadways. Torrential downpours make both vehicle handling and visibility problematic. Drivers typically move along at the speed limit or even faster during light rain, but the U.S. Department of Transportation recommends slowing down by 1/3 on wet roads.
Icy and snowy roads are particularly hazardous. Both make roads slippery, and drivers can have substantial difficulty managing the steering and braking of a vehicle. Blowing and drifting snow can cause a driver to lose control of a car or truck. Blowing snow also causes visibility issues, and even relatively light snow falling at night makes it difficult for drivers to see clearly.
Fog can cause serious visibility issues. On a foggy roadway, dense banks of fog may appear rather abruptly and unexpectedly. When a driver has been moving too fast for conditions, he can easily run into a vehicle ahead of him. Multiple-vehicle accidents often result. A Personal Injury Lawyer in Allentown helps clients who have been injured in these accidents through no fault of their own.
Intersections
Collisions at intersections account for large numbers of accidents. It’s not uncommon for drivers to try to beat a yellow light, for example, but this puts them at risk for running through a red light and hitting a vehicle that has started to proceed on a green light.
Construction
Zones where road building and repair are taking place are typically marked with lower posted speed limits. These areas can be difficult to navigate because of narrowed lanes, barrels, dump trucks, heavy equipment and other factors. Sometimes drivers should slow down even more than the temporary posted speed limit stipulates, such as when traffic is heavy. An individual who has been hurt in a construction-zone accident may call a law firm such as Sigmon & Sigmon for assistance.
