How Weather Conditions Impact Truck Accident Injury Severity

Bad weather is enough to make any driver slow down, focus, and take extra care during turns and lane changes. But for truck drivers, bad weather is even more dangerous. An 80,000-pound tractor-trailer can already cause severe injuries; when there’s inclement weather, the risks skyrocket.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, it’s time to talk to a Pennsylvania truck accident lawyer. Call KBG Injury Law to set up a consultation now.

How the weather makes truck accidents more dangerous

Even the most experienced truck driver can struggle to keep their truck under control when the weather is bad. Each weather condition affects truck drivers in different ways:

• Rain: Wet pavement reduces tire traction, putting drivers at risk for hydroplaning. A truck driver who hits a slick patch on the road can lose control in moments, leading to rollovers or jackknife accidents. Stopping distances are even longer when the roads are slick, and any delay in braking can lead to a serious rear-end collision.
• Snow and ice: Ice is unpredictable enough to make people driving small personal vehicles slow their pace to a crawl. Drivers in charge of 80,000-pound vehicles know that any unexpected ice patch can send their vehicle spinning out of control. Snow can limit visibility and get packed onto the roads, making it hard to keep a heavy vehicle from tipping. Uneven roads also increase the risk of cargo shifting, an accident risk in and of itself.
• Fog: We’ve all been stuck in heavy fog where you can barely see past your front bumper—now imagine how much scarier it is for someone driving a tractor-trailer. Dense fog makes it difficult for drivers to react to vehicles and other obstacles ahead of them.

The link between poor weather and severe injuries

Logically, it makes sense that bad weather leads to worse injuries. But the research proves that bad weather is correlated with bad outcomes. A study that looked at almost 50,000 Ohio truck accidents looked for links between inclement weather and severe injuries. Of the 50,000 crashes, almost 5,000 occurred in rain, and almost 4,000 occurred in snow. Rain is associated with more severe injuries, with the worst outcomes occurring on interstate roads with speed limits of 65 mph or greater. Snow also appears to cause more severe injuries, with serious injuries increasing dramatically in evening crashes.

The type of road also appears to play a role. Severe injuries increase in general in rainy weather, but the worst increase is on urban roads, not highways. In snowy weather, roads with curves tend to see significantly worse injuries.

A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 30 times more than a standard passenger vehicle. When a vehicle with that much force cannot come to a full stop in time, a high-impact collision is likely—and as the vehicle slides, it can pick up more force and cause more damage. Poor weather can also increase the likelihood of chain-reaction accidents. In snow or rain, one truck accident can lead to a multi-vehicle pileup as more and more drivers with minimal control of their vehicles get pulled in.

Victims of these accidents are at risk of life-altering injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, severe fractures, and internal bleeding. These injuries, in addition to being incredibly painful and causing lasting damage, are very expensive to treat. Victims can be left with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, and in many cases, they are unable to return to work.

Who is liable when weather plays a role in a crash?

One common misconception that comes up in these claims is that the weather is a valid reason for a truck accident that absolves both sides of liability, but bad weather doesn’t automatically excuse negligence. The fact is, drivers are legally responsible for the safe operation of their vehicles—even if that means getting off the road entirely. The FMCSA says that drivers should operate with extreme caution in hazardous weather conditions. If conditions are so dangerous that safe driving is not possible, drivers must stop driving until conditions improve.

If conditions are hazardous and a truck driver chooses to get on the road anyway, they are responsible for reasonable care and adjusting their driving appropriately for the conditions. That often means driving more slowly, leaving more space between them and other vehicles, and responding immediately to any changes in weather.

Many truck drivers know that driving in inclement weather puts themselves and others in harm’s way, but they have to do so in order to keep their jobs. Companies should be willing to put drivers’ and other road users’ safety first. When they are not and an accident occurs because of their choice to put a driver on the road, they may be held liable.

The role of a truck accident lawyer

Having the right legal representation is essential when you’re injured in a truck accident—especially when bad weather is involved. You can expect the trucking company to claim that they had no control over the weather and that they took all reasonable steps to prevent an accident. However, failing to properly adjust to challenging weather conditions can still amount to negligence. If you don’t want to be left on the hook for all of the expenses associated with your accident, you need a Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer who can fight for you.

Let’s talk about your next steps—call KBG Injury Law today

With offices throughout Pennsylvania, the team at KBG Injury Law is here for you. Call us at or connect with us online to schedule your free consultation now.