December 21st technically marked the beginning of the winter season. Even though the calendar makes this official designation the weather does not yield to any specific date. Snow was already falling along many parts of the East Coast and throughout the Midwest and temperatures dipped below freezing long before the technical beginning of winter.
In New York City and throughout the tri-state area, we are very familiar with the seasons and the weather that accompanies each one. As the temperatures drop and the freezing rain and snow begin to fall, there is a conscious adjustment that must be taken when considering road travel. Longer commute times, icy roads, clearing snow off cars, and even fighting through traffic congestion due to weather related auto accidents are every day scenarios we deal with as we gear up for another winter.
Just recently, in Michigan, a portion of U.S. Highway 131 was shut down after a 50-car-pile-up, with hundreds of crashes occurring due to slick conditions and snow. According to reports, over 40 cars were “scattered across the highway in the wake of the accident”. Not only was it the holiday season, it is accident season, mostly due to the weather. However, while the weather can be held responsible, as least in part, to a number of the accidents that will occur this winter, it doesn’t always leave drivers off the hook. Driver recklessness and carelessness, mixed in with bad weather, can present a devastating and life-altering outcome where obtaining legal counsel is extremely important, especially when personal injury is involved.
Unfortunately, weather isn’t the only factor we must consider as drivers during this season. This is also the season of multiple parties. Office parties, family gatherings, private holiday parties and, of course, New Years Eve and New Years Day trigger behaviors of “letting loose” through lowered inhibitions and drug and alcohol over consumption. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), between 2001 and 2005, 36 fatalities occurred per day on average in the United States as a result of crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. During the Christmas period, for example, an average of 45 fatalities involving an alcohol-impaired driver occurred each day, and soared to 54 per day over the New Year’s holiday. While these statistics point to specific accidents where there was a fatality, there are hundreds of other accidents that occur without fatality yet still result in personal injury.
As we try to be as safe as possible during this season, the unexpected can occur at any moment. The reality is that most of us will come out of this winter without incident, but many will not. And to those victims, we will fight for you as adept auto accident attorneys in New York.
Don’t let driver recklessness, carelessness, and negligence rob the joy out of the new year. If you are injured in a fender bender, T-bone collision, head-on crash or any other type of car accident this winter, you may need help with recovering damages. Our New York City car accident lawyers have more than 50 years of combined litigation experience and are ready to take on your injury claims. At Greenberg & Stein, P.C., we are committed to defending the rights of accident victims and their families. If your accident was caused by another driver’s carelessness, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
Contact our New York City car accident lawyers at 888-411-3966 for caring legal counsel after your automobile collision for a free consultation.
