On December 2, 2019, the Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington state regions saw more than 30 car accidents pile up in a span of mere hours due to icy road conditions. The conditions were so severe, in fact, that the National Weather Service posted a warning on their Twitter page, reading:

“It’s really just simple math: Wet Roads + Subfreezing Temperatures = Icy conditions, especially in outlying areas.”

Your Case in a Sea of Similar Cases

December 2 was just one day of many that drivers in the Oregon and Washington regions will need to worry about this winter. Oregon is already one of the most dangerous states in the country to drive through during the rain, and when temperatures drop below freezing, the risk rises at an exponential rate. In 2016 alone, almost 3,000 people were killed in the state due to icy, wet, and snowy road conditions.

If you or a loved one finds themselves injured – or worse – in a car collision during the icy hours of the day, would your family have a case?

Patrick Cadiz, an Oregon auto accident attorney, notes how Oregon law allows injured parties to make claims in the event of an accident where the at-fault vehicle is driving a vehicle at a higher rate-of-speed for the circumstances in existence. For example, if it is snowing or raining hard and the driver causes an accident by refusing to slow down, injured parties have a right to make a claim.

Additionally, if a passenger of a vehicle is injured when their own driver is driving too fast under the circumstances, they also have a right to make a claim even if the driver is related to them. For example, if a husband and wife are in the car together and the husband is driving and loses control of the vehicle and his wife is injured, Oregon law allows the wife and any passengers to make a claim against the driver’s insurance for compensation for personal injuries, wage loss, and any medical expenses.

Controlling Your Actions Behind the Wheel

You can never be too safe when operating a motor vehicle, which is why distracted driving is such a hot topic in the world right now. The difference here, however, is that you can control most of your distractions in a car. You can choose not to text or talk on the phone. You can choose not to worry about which song is going to play on your radio next. You can’t, however, choose what mother nature is going to do during the unpredictable winter months; all you can do is choose when it’s safe to drive. If you do choose to venture out onto the roads, you can choose how attentive you are behind the wheel.

This winter, make it your goal to take extra care when driving yourself to work, your kids to school, or your family to the in-laws. It could mean the difference between life and death. If you do happen to fall victim to an accident as a result of icy or snowy roads, please call the auto accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Patrick Cadiz.

For more information on inclement weather accidents and how an Oregon auto accident attorney can help those affected receive the compensation they deserve, please call the Law Offices of Patrick Cadiz (located in Portland, OR and Hillsboro, OR) at 503-858-3261.