Weather-Related Car Accidents in San Diego

Even under the best conditions, traffic accidents are a daily occurrence in San Diego, California. When the weather gets bad, the risk of getting into an accident increases significantly. Not everyone exercises additional caution at the wheel in the pouring rain, heavy fog, or high winds. Drivers are still distracted and drive too fast, and that can be a recipe for disaster when road conditions are slick and visibility is low.

As the victim of a weather-related car accident in San Diego, it’s important to know that you have the opportunity to seek compensation to help offset your medical expenses, loss of income, and the damage to your car. The experienced San Diego car accident lawyers at Singleton Schreiber want to help you maximize your recovery.

As top-rated California trial lawyers with decades of collective legal experience, we’ve secured billions of dollars in monetary awards for clients like you. Now, with our local lawyers and national resources in your corner, you can force the insurance company to pay you what you deserve, too.

Contact our law office in San Diego, CA, to discuss the details of your weather-related car crash today. There’s no charge for your initial case evaluation.

How Often Do Bad Weather Conditions Contribute to Car Accidents?

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), weather is a factor in roughly 21 percent of all car accidents across the United States every year. These accidents tend to be serious, causing an average of 5,000 deaths and upwards of 431,000 injuries annually. 

An analysis of federal crash data revealed that 5 percent of all fatal weather-related crashes happened in the state of California. Most often, thunderstorms, heavy fog, high winds, and flooding are the biggest contributors to traffic accidents in San Diego and throughout the southern part of the state. 

Why Does Weather Cause Car Crashes in San Diego?

Weather conditions can change road safety, the way vehicles operate, and the lengths to which drivers have to go to stay safe. The specific ways in which weather contributes to car accidents vary, depending on the type of weather condition that’s present.

Rain and Thunderstorms

Rain can be problematic for many reasons. Depending on the severity of the rainfall, falling raindrops can limit visibility and make it difficult for motorists to see and react to changes in traffic.

Rainfall also causes road conditions to become wet and slick. If you’re traveling at 60 MPH on dry roads in San Diego, it’ll take roughly 4.6 seconds for you to hit the brakes and come to a complete stop. When road surfaces are wet, your braking time increases to 6.1 seconds. The faster you’re traveling, the greater the disparity between dry and wet braking times. 

Flooding

Heavy rainfall can cause flooding, particularly after San Diego has gone through a drought. Flooded roadways can prevent vehicles from braking effectively and cause motorists to slide through intersections or make very unstable turns. 

Fog

Fog can significantly impair driver visibility, making it difficult to see even a few feet in front of their vehicle. When drivers cannot see traffic signals, traffic signs, other vehicles, or pedestrians moving along the road, motor vehicle accidents are much more likely to occur. Not surprisingly, more than 38,700 car accidents happen across the nation because of foggy weather conditions

High Winds

Winds carried from offshore storms can exert considerable force on motor vehicles and make it difficult for motorists in San Diego to steer properly. Wind gusts can also potentially cause vehicles with high centers of gravity - like SUVs, commercial tractor-trailers, and pickup trucks - to roll over more easily.

Who’s Liable For a Weather-Related Car Accident? 

In California, anyone who contributes to a car accident - even in bad weather conditions - can be liable for resulting damages.

Vehicle Motorists

Just because it’s raining, foggy, or windy doesn’t mean drivers lack responsibility when an accident happens. In fact, the duty of care assumed by San Diego motorists is directly related to the circumstances under which they’re driving. When weather conditions are suboptimal, drivers have to exercise more care at the wheel to stay safe. If a driver continues to text, speed, tailgate, or engage in other risky behavior while driving in bad weather, they can be liable if and when their conduct contributes to a car crash.

Pedestrians and Bicyclists

Pedestrians and cyclists can be more difficult to see in bad weather. For this reason, it is crucial that non-motorists take extra precautions when sharing the road with larger vehicles. The need to cross only at marked intersections when instructed to do so by traffic signals is imperative. Pedestrians or bicyclists who jaywalk, fail to yield the right of way, or neglect to pay attention to their surroundings can be fully or partly liable when an accident occurs.

Vehicle Manufacturers

You really rely on your car and its components to operate properly, especially when the weather is bad. If your car suffers from faulty brakes, defective windshield wipers, or malfunctioning headlights or taillights, it’s much more likely that you’ll get into an accident when it’s raining or foggy. In these situations, the manufacturer of the defective auto part(s) can be strictly liable for your damages. 

Why Should I Hire a Car Accident Attorney After a Weather-Related Crash?

Car accident litigation can be stressful, time-consuming, and costly. However, that doesn’t mean you should give up on the opportunity to demand the compensation you need and deserve. Someone else failed to exercise appropriate caution while driving in bad weather in San Diego, and they have to be held accountable. Focus on your recovery and hire an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer to handle your fight for compensation.

Car accident victims in San Diego trust Singleton Schreiber because we provide professional, compassionate, and effective legal representation when it's most important. Clients work with local award-winning trial attorneys and get the backing of our law firm’s national resources. This sets the stage for life-changing results.

California imposes a two-year statute of limitations on most weather-related car accident claims, so do not hesitate to contact our San Diego law office to set a time for a free consultation now.