Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

For over thirty years, our office has represented many victims and their families who have suffered catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths due to car accidents caused by black ice on the highways. I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and have a 17-year old son who travels to school early every morning as a relatively new driver. I am sure that my son has never had an experience with black ice, and recall an incident that occurred when my oldest son who is now 30-years old skidded through a stop sign on black ice approximately a month after he learned how to drive. Yes, Halloween can be scary enough for young kids, but when the first frost comes and moisture joins it as a partner and creates a black ice situation, the fear reality should strike with even greater magnitude than a scary Halloween. Black ice, also known as glare ice, is really nothing more than a thin layer of ice on the roadway that occurs when there is moisture in the air and temperatures are below freezing. When you travel over certain spots and go to apply your brakes, you lose traction and the car has a tendency to shift to the left and then right, or proceed dangerously into an object in front of it. This typically happens and occurs when you least expect it and is often the cause of car accidents that were avoidable with the proper use of caution. Many times black ice is not glossy like typical ice and has a dull appearance making it almost invisible. The moral of the story is, if it is a cold day and there is moisture, take some extra precaution. Even if you have a four wheel drive vehicle, it does not mean you are immune to black ice.

The Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily are committed to motorist and automotive safety and have successfully handled thousands of car accident and auto defect claims since 1979. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer who has represented many who have been catastrophically injured or wrongfully killed in car accidents, I am extraordinarily careful when driving particularly when roads are icy. Last Tuesday after an ice storm, the roads had approximately a 1/4 inch of ice making them visible on my way to work so I drove carefully, yet other drivers were not so careful and I witnessed many car accidents. Shortly thereafter later in the day, a lot of the ice melted on back roads and what appeared to be dry and safe roads had become sheet of non-visible ice known as “black ice.” Black ice provides one of the most dangerous conditions when driving as many times it is not obvious to drivers and when they go to stop at a stop sign, they often go through it or when they go to apply their brakes, their car goes out of control into another vehicle. When there is moisture in the air or melting snow and temperatures are low, one should always be on “black ice alert.” Pennsylvania law recognizes that one must drive at a speed appropriate for the conditions, and therefore, if you are involved in a car accident due to ice, rain, or hazardous or inclement weather making roads hazardous, the normal rules and speed limits may not apply.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a Philadelphia car accident and would like to discuss your rights and hold those responsible accountable, please contact one of our experienced Philadelphia car accident attorneys for a free, no obligation consultation toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com. We always offer a no recovery, zero fee guarantee.

The Philadelphia streets were as slippery as ski slopes on the morning of January 18, 2011, yet many drivers failed to acknowledge the dangerous conditions and were speeding down the highways with rockets of ice and snow flying off their non-cleared roofs and windows into the path of oncoming traffic. Icy roads present a threat to innocent individuals who are at the mercy of people who are driving too fast or carelessly under the conditions whereupon they cause catastrophic Philadelphia car accidents, wrongfully injuring and killing others. Although the Philadelphia weather service reported a 1/4 inch or more of ice accumulation on the roadways, that did not deter many people from speeding and carelessly spinning out into other vehicles. I myself witnessed a crash this morning that was predictable as I saw another vehicle pass me on the right side at a high rate of speed before careening or sliding into another vehicle causing substantial property damage.

Pennsylvania has a subjective and arbitrary traffic rule that can punish drivers for “driving too fast for conditions” even though at the time they may not necessarily be exceeding the posted speed limit.

As an experienced Pennsylvania car accident lawyer, I believe it is reasonable to expect that drivers should operate at slower speeds and more carefully under adverse and icy conditions. Last year in Pennsylvania there were over 8,000 accidents as a result of aggressive driving on snowy, slushy, or ice covered highways due to motorists tailgating, speeding, or making careless lane changes. As a matter of fact, last winter I was driving down the Atlantic City Expressway during snowy conditions when another vehicle cut me off. I lost control of my car and rolled down a ditch. The other vehicle sped away and I sustained thousands of dollars of damage to my vehicle but was lucky to have suffered no personal injury. It makes sense that getting frustrated and driving aggressively on snow or ice is not likely to save you time, but in fact, will cause problems. If you start to slide on ice, try not to panic and steer the wheel in the direction that you want the front end to go to straighten out the vehicle.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident due to aggressive winter driving or a snow missile flying off another vehicle, it is likely that the other vehicle is traveling too fast for the conditions and a proper cause of negligence and liability may exist. The experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily always offer a free, no obligation consultation and a no recovery, zero fee guarantee. For more information contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.