Earlier this week in Annapolis, a local Marylander was killed when he got out of his disabled vehicle on Route 50. According to a local news report, the man lost control of his car, and it spun out into the center median around 2:15 in the morning. As he got out of the car, he was struck by another passing motorist driving an SUV.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders. While the cause of the initial accident remains unknown, officials surmise that it had to do with the icy road conditions at the time. In fact, there were safety warnings in place at the time of the accident due to the inclement conditions.
Another potential factor, police told reporters, was the fact that there are no overhead lights on the portion of highway where the accident occurred, making it all the more difficult to see a patch of black ice. It also may have contributed to the SUV driver’s inability to see the man and his disabled vehicle.
Driving in Inclement Weather
Although the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, it is probably safe to say that the icy road conditions that night played a large role. Each year around this time, there is a surge in accidents that are caused by drivers failing to take adequate precautions in inclement weather conditions. Most often, these accidents involve drivers traveling too fast for the current conditions.
While the speed limit is a good guide in normal conditions, it may be unsafe to travel at the posted speed limit when weather conditions are not ideal. In fact, drivers are routinely cited for traffic tickets after being involved in an accident for “traveling too fast for conditions.” This is an all-encompassing violation that seeks to deter motorists from traveling at unsafe speeds during any inclement weather or road condition.
Establishing Liability after an Accident Occurs
Before any party to an accident is permitted to recover for his or her injuries from any of the other parties involved in the accident, the party seeking compensation must establish that the other driver was at fault.
This can be done in any number of ways, but most often it is done through the submission of witness testimony in conjunction with a police report, if available. When a police report is not available, the possibility of recovery is still an option, of course. That merely means that an alternate tactic must be used.
Have You Been Injured in a Serious Maryland Car Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been injured in any kind of serious Maryland car accident, you may be entitled to monetary compensation based on the other driver’s negligence. The Maryland personal injury attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have decades of combined experience bringing claims arising out of all kinds of car accidents, including inclement weather accidents. To learn more about how you may be able to get financially compensated for an accident you were involved in, call 410-654-3600 to set up a free initial consultation with an attorney today.
More Blog Posts:
Sport Utility Vehicle Crashes into High-School Cafeteria, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published December 2, 2014.
Single-Vehicle Accident Takes the Life of One Fifteen-Year-Old and Injures Two Others, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published September 3, 2014.