Icy and Slippery Roads in Kansas City: Can You Sue the Local Government For Failure to Clean Snow and Ice?
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Icy and Slippery Roads in Kansas City: Can You Sue the Local Government For Failure to Clean Snow and Ice?

by | Feb 1, 2019 | Vehicle Accidents

You may want to avoid commuting to and from work on your own vehicle and, instead, resort to using public transportation this week. As icy, snow-covered roads prompt authorities to close schools and roads as well as cancel many activities and events in the area affected by a winter storm, our Kansas City auto accident lawyer warns you to avoid driving as much as possible until after roadways are no longer covered in snow and ice.

Rains from earlier this week have made roads extremely icy and slick, as temperatures in Kansas City continue to drop. The National Weather Service issued a weather statement on Wednesday morning warning anyone making a morning commute to stay safe, slow down, and use extreme caution when driving.

Slick and slippery roads in Kansas City

Slick roads are a very common cause of car crashes in Kansas City, which is why you may want to avoid commuting to and from work on your own vehicle. “Combine wet and slippery roads with increased traffic during peak hours and it immediately turns into a disaster waiting to happen,” says our experienced car accident attorney in Kansas City from Mayer & Rosenberg, P.C.

Throughout the week, weather forecasting agencies are estimating up to three inches of snow and ice accumulations of up to an inch, which will make your morning commute to work more dangerous than you think. Ice on the roadways has become the reason why several schools in Kansas City canceled classes for Wednesday, January 23, 2019.

Can you blame the local government for this?

Authorities in the affected areas have also canceled a series of other activities and events to prevent car crashes caused by poor weather conditions. The local government in Kansas City have ordered their road crews to salt roads and treat roads as soon as the rain turns to frozen precipitation. However, when the temperatures drop too low, ice treatment is not longer effective.

But can the local government in Kansas City be held liable for your car accident injuries caused by slippery and wet roads or other bad weather conditions? “Possibly,” says our Kansas City car accident lawyer. “But this depends on whether the local government was aware of the dangerous conditions caused by bad weather and whether it failed to take reasonably foreseeable measures to remedy these conditions in a timely manner in order to prevent car crashes.”

Avoid these locations and behaviors to stay safe this week

Those of you who will not be able to avoid driving until after the weather conditions are normalized should be aware of the most dangerous locations and behavior to avoid during a winter storm.

Our car accident lawyer Kansas City says that in order to stay safe during poor weather conditions, motorists should:

  • avoid driving at night and early in the morning, because that’s when ice accumulation reaches its peak and there are no road crews to salt roads or treat ice on the roads;
  • avoid driving on bridges and overpasses as much as possible, because those are the areas most affected by ice;
  • avoid speeding or driving at or above the speed limit (slow down as much as possible, because the higher the speed, the higher the risk of losing control of your vehicle);
  • avoid driving recklessly (instead, drive defensively and cautiously); and
  • avoid getting distracted while operating a vehicle (being distracted means that you will not be able to react to a hazardous condition or when your vehicle begins to swerve due to icy and slippery surfaces).

If you have been injured in a car crash during poor weather conditions, let our attorneys at Mayer & Rosenberg, P.C., help you determine fault and investigate whether or not the local government in Kansas City can be held liable for failure to eliminate dangerous road conditions and other hazards caused by bad weather conditions. Contact our law firm to schedule a free consultation. Call our offices at 816-941-8949.

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