(This is a nice Auto Accident Article concerning Icy Road Conditions and Car Accidents by Erich Shrefler. This article was reviewed and approved by RI Injury Attorney David Slepkow 401-437-1100)

It is no secret that the rate of automobile accidents increases by substantial percentages when icy and snow-packed road conditions are present. Some of these accidents can be minor ones, with a small dent in the vehicle and some frazzled nerves of the drivers and passengers. Others, unfortunately, can end in serious injury or even death.

Types of Injuries – Icy Road Accidents

Two of the most serious types of injuries that can result from bad winter car accidents include traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Both of these injuries can have permanent, life-changing effects that forever alter a victim’s ability to think, eat, walk and work.

Types of Accidents Due to Icy Conditions

Some of the most common types of serious accidents that occur on icy roads include:

• · Read-end collisions
• · Rollover accidents
• · Accidents involving a tractor-trailer or other large truck
• · Collision with man-made objects, such as telephone poles or traffic medians
• · Pedestrian-automobile accidents

Why Ice and Snow are So Dangerous for Motorists

As most of us know, driving on ice means it will typically take you much longer to come to a stop than on a road clear of ice and snow. It is much easier to lose control of a vehicle on icy roads, and a car on a patch of ice will take several moments longer to move forward, if it can at all. (This is called a spin-out.) Traction is always an issue when driving on snow and ice.

Another hazard is the term “black ice,” which is nearly invisible to drivers. This is when ice forms over a surface without air bubbles and the ice becomes transparent, taking on the color of the surface below it.

Overconfident drivers can also be a problem. The advances in four-wheel and all-wheel drive technology can make drivers less cautious than they should be.

When another Party is Responsible

Automobile accidents in ice and snow are often the direct result of someone else’s negligence. Just a few examples of these types of situations include:

• Lack of warning signs on icy roads and bridges
• Inadequate use of road-safety treatments for ice and snow, such as magnesium chloride and sand
• Other automobile operator driving at unsafe speeds for conditions
• Debris left in the roadway
• Other accidents not cleared in a timely manner

Legal Notice per Rules of Professional Responsibility: The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers and attorneys in the general practice of law, but does not license or certify any lawyer / attorney as an expert or specialist in any field of practice. While this firm maintains joint responsibility, most cases of this type are referred to other attorneys for principle responsibility.