Truck drivers encounter many types of weather and road conditions as they traverse Oklahoma’s varied climate. They may face extreme heat in the summer, ice storms in the winter, and tornadoes in the spring. Since 1950, Oklahomans have experienced an average of 53 tornadoes within the state’s borders each year.
While inclement weather and bad road conditions can increase the risk of accidents, truck drivers should take precautions to reduce that risk. When they fail to do so, they can be held accountable for their negligence.
If you were injured in a truck accident caused by bad weather conditions, you could be entitled to financial compensation for the harm you suffered. The Oklahoma trucking accident attorneys at Cain Law can help you demand it. We strongly believe that weather conditions and truck accidents should not go hand-in-hand and you should not suffer more than you already have for a truck driver’s irresponsible decision to drive in an unsafe manner through poor weather conditions.
Contact Cain Law today to speak with a truck accident attorney for wrecks caused by bad road conditions. We offer a free initial consultation and only get paid if we recover compensation in your case.
Bad Weather Conditions That Can Cause Truck Accidents
Inclement weather that can affect large trucks includes:
Trucks and Icy Roads
According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 24 percent of weather-related traffic crashes occur yearly on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement. These hazardous conditions reduce traction between a vehicle’s wheels and the pavement. Reduced traction can make it challenging for the driver to control or stop their vehicle if necessary.
The consequences of lost traction can be dire when the vehicle is an 80,000-pound truck and trailer. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a truck of this size should be able to stop within 310 feet when traveling at 60 miles per hour. That’s about the length of a football field. Trucks will need even longer distances to stop when the roads are icy and traction is limited. As they careen hundreds of feet down the road, trucks can collide with multiple vehicles and inflict terrible injuries.
Wet Roads
According to the FHWA, 75 percent of weather-related crashes occur on wet roads, and 47 percent occur during rainfall. Wet roads reduce vehicle traction, increasing the risk of accidents. Truck drivers should reduce their speed when driving on wet roads and use their headlights and windshield wipers during rainfall.
Flooded Roads
Flooded roads can lead to hydroplaning, which occurs when standing water causes a vehicle’s tires to lose contact with the road and slide uncontrollably. Flooding can also limit or prevent access to certain parts of the road, forcing motorists to share a smaller portion of the road and increasing the risk of collisions. Truck drivers should significantly reduce their speed when encountering standing water on the road and avoid flooded areas entirely.
High Winds
High winds can put large trucks at risk of rollover accidents, in which the vehicle falls or is pushed over on its side. High winds can also cause jackknife accidents, in which the trailer falls out of sync with the cab towing it and swings wide at the point of connection. In both types of accidents, truck drivers can lose control and strike adjacent vehicles. Truck drivers should reduce speed and exercise caution when making turns during windy conditions.
Fog
According to the FHWA, over 38,700 vehicle accidents occur yearly in foggy conditions. Fog reduces visibility, sometimes to just a few yards in front of a vehicle. If truck drivers cannot see the road ahead of them, they may be unable to stop in time to avoid a collision. Truck drivers should reduce their speed and use headlights when driving through fog.
Liability in Weather-Related Truck Accidents
Bad weather can contribute to truck crashes and affect who’s liable. In many weather-related truck crashes, the truck driver is at fault. However, a thorough investigation may reveal that other parties are also partially or even solely at fault.
Truck Driver Negligence in Bad Weather
Truck driver negligence is a major contributing factor to collisions occurring during bad weather, as truckers have an obligation to adjust their driving habits in accordance with current conditions.
One of the leading causes of poor weather truck accidents is drivers going too fast on slick pavement or in poor visibility. Even if the truck driver is going under the speed limit, they may still be going too fast for the weather and road conditions. Wet or icy roads can become slippery, requiring drivers to slow down. Rain, snow, and fog can cause poor visibility, requiring drivers to proceed with caution in case there’s a hazard on the road.
Truck drivers should also be wary of high winds that could cause their vehicles to roll over. When the wind becomes too strong, the best action may be for the trucker to pull over and wait it out rather than proceeding and putting themselves and others at risk. If they ignore safety issues, they can be held liable for resulting crashes.
Trucking Company Liability
The truck driver may not be the only party responsible for the truck’s safe operation. The company the driver works for might also be to blame if it pressured the driver to continue on when it was unsafe to do so. It could also be liable if it failed to adequately maintain the vehicles in its fleet, causing one to lose traction or break down suddenly in poor weather conditions. Trucking companies are also vicariously liable for the negligence of their drivers.
Liability of Other Motorists
In some cases, other motorists could be liable or share liability for a weather-related truck accident. Other drivers might drive aggressively or not properly check their mirrors before changing lanes in poor weather. This can cause truck drivers to take evasive action to avoid one collision, only to find themselves involved in a different collision they did not anticipate.
Alternatively, another road user might have been driving too fast for wet or icy conditions, lost control of their vehicle, and collided with the truck, causing a chain reaction accident.
Government Entity Liability for Flooded Roads
When poor road conditions contribute to truck crashes, the government entity responsible for maintaining the road could be liable. One way in which poor road maintenance contributes to weather-related truck accidents is through poor drainage. When roads are built in such a way that they become flooded, either due to water draining from a higher area down onto the road or excess water being unable to drain off the road, the risk of a truck crash increases.
To hold the government liable for a flood-related truck accident, you must show that the relevant entity knew or should have known about the flooding. This might require evidence such as the following:
Reports from civil engineers explaining how the way the road was constructed made it prone to flooding
Reports from other motorists to the agency about past flooding that weren’t adequately addressed
Photographs and videos of the flooding in question to show how it occurred and where the water was pooling
Recovering Damages in Truck Accidents Caused by Weather and Road Conditions
To recover compensation after a truck accident involving poor weather conditions, you must prove that the truck driver did not exercise proper care given the inclement weather and that their failure to do so caused the collision and your injuries.
It is not enough to show that the truck driver played a part in the accident, especially if the inclement weather conditions were a factor. You must demonstrate that the truck driver’s negligence caused the accident rather than merely the bad road conditions.
Examples of negligence that might lead to an accident in inclement weather might include:
- Failing to reduce speed in bad weather conditions
- Following other vehicles too closely
- Failing to use headlights or turn signals
- Driving without properly functioning equipment for weather conditions, such as inoperable windshield wipers or worn-down tires
- Disobeying traffic lights or signs
To prove negligence, an OKC truck accident lawyer might:
- Take photos of the accident scene
- Access video footage of the accident, such as from traffic cameras, dash-cams, or business surveillance
- cameras
- Request the police officer’s crash report
- Gather records, such as the truck driver’s employment records, driving logs, drug testing records, and phone records
- Review the truck’s electronic logging device
Compensation Available for Wreck Caused by Poor Road Conditions
With the help of an experienced and knowledgeable truck accident lawyer for wrecks caused by bad road conditions, you may be able to recover compensation for losses like:
- Medical expenses
- Loss of wages
- Loss of future earnings
- Physical pain and mental anguish
- Disfigurement
- Physical impairment
- Loss of consortium, companionship, or society
Contact Our Truck Accident Lawyers for Wrecks Caused by Bad Conditions
If you were injured in a truck accident during bad weather conditions, reach out to Cain Law today for a free consultation. These are tricky cases to prove, but we have the experience, resources, and determination to handle them. Our weather-related truck accident lawyers will fight for your rights and hold the at-fault driver accountable for driving irresponsibly through unsafe conditions.