The winter storms have been especially brutal in the northeast, with ice covering long stretches of highways. In the poor winter weather that New Jersey has experienced this year, it’s important to adjust your driving behavior to the challenges of the road. Jack Kerouac wrote about his time traveling across the United States from his aunt’s home in New Jersey by saying that the best teacher is experience and not someone else’s point of view. With icy conditions, experience is important, but sometimes even experienced drivers can act in a negligent manner that leads to car accidents.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike recently turned into a graveyard for crashed cars with dozens of accidents that caused hours in delays for New Jersey commuters. A foot of snow fell on the roads and contributed to dozens of accidents and at least 30 injuries. Ambulances were on the scene to take injured people to the hospital. No major injuries were reported. The conditions led to poor visibility, icy patches and reduced speed limits.
If you are injured because someone else caused an accident by driving negligently in poor conditions, you could get reimbursed for your medical bills and pain. Negligence can be established if, for example, individuals are driving while intoxicated, leading to a drunk driving accident or even going too fast in poor conditions. As this report illustrates, the icy conditions on the Pennsylvania Turnpike recently led to many accidents.
A major snowstorm can have many unintended consequences, from poor visibility to a difficult path home for commuters. At worst, it can lead to a serious accident. If you are hurt in an accident due to someone else acting in a negligent manner, you should be able to receive compensation for your injuries. Experienced individuals can act negligently and cause auto accidents that result in massive delays or even serious medical emergencies.
Source: New Jersey Herald, “Trucks, dozens of cars crash on Pa. turnpike,” Michael Rubinkam and Ron Todt, Feb. 14, 2014
