Many drivers struggle in poor weather. Frequent rain and fog put drivers at risk of skidding and poor visibility. Cars and drivers are not always ready for winter weather. Ice patches can cause accidents in a second.

Experienced attorneys know that car accidents involving bad weather in Houston can happen to even the most well-prepared drivers. A car accident attorney can defend your right to compensation following your crash and protect you from any claims that you were negligent.

How Weather Conditions Cause Accidents

Humidity often leads to frequent storms and floods. The city’s summers often bring rain and fierce heat, while winters are prone to fog. Polar vortex winds have increasingly resulted in snow and hard freezes during the state’s winters.

Avoiding traffic accidents due to poor weather conditions is hard enough in Houston, but when one car skids or stalls, a chain reaction can be difficult to avoid. Bad weather can bring about a variety of accidents:

  • Skidding in the rain
  • Fishtailing on icy or snowy roads
  • Colliding with other vehicles or structures due to poor visibility through rain, fog, or heat mirages
  • Stalling from driving through flooded streets
  • Losing control of your vehicle due to tire failures and other mechanical issues resulting from excessive heat

You may wonder how anyone could blame you for an accident under these conditions, but an insurance company can certainly try.

Weather-Related Accidents: Are You Really Responsible?

After a car accident in bad Houston weather, an insurance company may say that you could have avoided the accident or its consequences. The insurer does this to reduce the amount of compensation it needs to pay or to deny the claim outright.

The state’s accident laws allow you to recover some damages even if you were partly responsible for the accident, but the percentage of your fault will reduce the amount you will receive. For example, if you were 20 percent at fault for your accident, you would be entitled to 80 percent of the damages. However, the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001 states that you cannot recover any damages if you bear more than 50 percent of the responsibility for your accident.

An insurance company will investigate an accident to determine who was responsible and then produce a report. These reports often attempt to shift the percentage of fault away from the insurer’s client so that it will have to pay as little as possible to you. An insurance company’s determination of fault is not legally binding, so you can challenge its findings. Accepting an insurer’s opinion can leave you without the funds you need to recover from your accident.

How an Attorney Can Help After a Bad Weather Car Crash

With the right evidence, our car accident attorneys can fight an insurance company’s report on your accident. We will investigate everything we can surrounding your bad-weather vehicle crash in Houston, including police reports, eyewitness statements, and local surveillance footage. We will work with you to calculate the damages from your accident, which can include:

  • Medical expenses
  • Lost wages or income
  • Property damage, including items in the vehicle
  • Home health costs, such as durable medical equipment

Family members of those killed in a road traffic accident may be able to bring a wrongful death action for funeral expenses, mental anguish, and the loss of their loved one’s support and companionship.

If You Have Questions About Bad-Weather Accidents in Houston: Talk to Us Today

No one should take the blame for car accidents involving bad weather in Houston without speaking to a lawyer. You and your family deserve to work with a tough and understanding local attorney who can analyze your case, present your options, and fight for the compensation you need.

Key insurance deadlines may cut off your claim, and the statute of limitations is two years—not long when you have a case to prepare. At Fleming Law Accident & Injury Attorneys, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so there is no need to delay. Contact us now.