Rain-Related Car Crash Injury Lawyers in Erie, Pennsylvania

If You Have Been Injured by a Reckless Motorist on Rainy Erie Roads, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Secure the Compensation You Need to Recover From Your Injuries and Reclaim Your Independence.

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Erie, Pennsylvania, receives significantly more rainfall than many other American cities. While precipitation helps keep the Great Lakes healthy, it can also impact automobile performance and motor vehicle safety. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, most weather-related crashes occur on wet pavement and during rainfall. Each year, wet and slippery conditions kill an estimated 5,700 people, with hundreds of thousands more injured.

Heavy rainfall can cause even the most experienced motorists to lose control of their vehicles. However, many rain-related car accidents can be attributed to negligence. When other people forego safety by driving too fast for conditions, they endanger themselves and everyone around them. For many families, the aftermath of an unexpected Pennsylvania car crash can be catastrophic, both physically and financially. Healthcare costs have soared in recent years, even as insurance companies have posted record profits. Medical treatment is, in many cases, so expensive that many accident victims forego critical care to protect themselves from insolvency.

Fortunately, most Pennsylvania car crash survivors have options beyond physical pain and financial hardship. Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has provided unparalleled personal injury support to accident survivors in Erie, Pennsylvania, and across the region—and we have the results to show for it. Our highly experienced team of rain-related car crash lawyers could help you or a loved one secure significant compensation for your injuries. Please send us a message online or call us today at 814-839-3939 to speak to an attorney and schedule your free initial, no-cost consultation.

How Rainfall Causes Automobile Accidents

The American Automobile Association recently conducted controlled experiments showing that even the most modern motor vehicles cannot safely operate in inclement weather. By simulating wet and rainy conditions, researchers found that cars equipped with features like automatic braking and lane assist systems could not avoid striking stationary automobiles one-third of the time. Rainfall can affect car performance in a variety of other ways, including the following:

1. Wet or rain-covered pavement can make it more difficult for cars to come to a complete stop, especially if the vehicle has inadequate tire tread;
2. Since thin layers of precipitation could interfere with a vehicle’s braking system, motorists may not be able to stop their vehicle as quickly as they could in fair conditions;
3. When rainwater is forced into the engine compartment, it could adversely affect the vehicle’s belts, engine, and electrical components, leading to a loss of power steering functionality; and
4. Standing water on road surfaces increases the risk of hydroplaning, which can cause a total loss of traction and control.

When a motorist fails to accommodate inclement weather conditions, they could cause serious and potentially life-threatening collisions. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. believes that automobile accident survivors should never have to pay the price for a negligent motorist’s misconduct. Our highly experienced team of Erie, Pennsylvania, car accident lawyers could help you or a loved one obtain the compensation you need to begin reclaiming your independence. Please call us at 814-839-3939 to speak to a legal professional about your options for rapid legal relief.

Liability in Pennsylvania Car Crashes

Pennsylvania has a no-fault insurance system, meaning that accident victims must first file a claim with their own car insurance company before pursuing compensation. Under most circumstances, an insurance policy could provide benefits for medical bills and other tangible financial losses. However, if you have suffered serious damages that exceed the limits of your policy, you could file a personal injury lawsuit against the motorist who caused your rain-related car crash. While many car crash survivors have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit to obtain additional compensation, securing a fair settlement could still prove challenging. Under Pennsylvania state law, any injured motorist who initiates a car accident claim must be able to demonstrate the following:

1. The other motorist owed you a legal duty of care;
2. The other motorist negligently breached their duty of care;
3. The other motorist’s negligence caused your injuries; and
4. A Pennsylvania court could compensate you for your injuries.

Even if you have a seemingly open-and-shut case, you may have to fight an uphill battle against the insurance company. Since the Keystone State follows a modified comparative fault rule, your personal injury damages could be reduced if the adjuster, a judge, or a jury believes that your own misconduct caused or contributed to the accident.

How We Combat the Insurance Company’s Defenses

Pennsylvania’s modified comparative fault rule allows the court to reduce a victim’s compensation by a percentage equivalent to their share of fault. Since insurance companies are for-profit enterprises, they will typically search for any excuse to devalue or deny a claim. Even if the other motorist clearly caused your collision, the insurance adjuster could attempt to argue that you share some blame for the accident.

However, you do not have to tolerate the insurance company’s excuses. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades aggressively advocating for our client’s rights. Our experienced team of attorneys could help you collect the evidence needed to prevail in insurance negotiations or in court. We could take the following steps to begin building a robust, evidence-based claim for recompense:

1. Obtaining and analyzing the Accident Report from the Erie Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, or other law enforcement agency;
2. Reviewing any evidence you obtained from the accident site, such as photographs of the damage to your motor vehicle or pictures of your physical injuries;
3. Subpoenaing surveillance camera footage from nearby businesses and traffic control systems;
4. Collaborating with expert witnesses, who could provide testimony about how rainfall and inadequate vehicle maintenance affect a car’s performance; and
5. Interviewing any bystanders who may have seen your accident.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. believes that no Pennsylvanian should have to pay the price for another motorist’s reckless misconduct. Since our founding in 2005, we have helped our clients secure more than $175 million in damages—money that Erie, Pennsylvania, car crash victims have used to clear their medical expenses and begin the difficult task of reclaiming their independence. Please call us today at 814-839-3939 to schedule your no-cost consultation.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 814-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Erie, Pennsylvania. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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