Central Ohio winters can be beautiful and tranquil … until you have to drive in them. Between December 2024 and March 2025, the Ohio Highway Patrol reported 15,647 crashes on slick roads, resulting in serious injuries, fatalities, and damaged vehicles. In addition to snow- and ice-packed roadways, Ohio motorists must also be alert to black ice, snow-covered obstacles, poor visibility due to strong winds, snow squalls, and overworked road crews trying to keep up. While most motorists drive cautiously, many others take foolish risks by driving too fast for road conditions, following other drivers too closely, driving poorly maintained vehicles, or failing to drive defensively. All it takes is a couple of cars to cause a multi-car pile-up that can strand victims and close major thoroughfares for hours.
What To Do After a Car Accident
If you have been involved in a winter car accident, the first thing to do is to stay in your car. Don’t get out to try to assess the damage. You are putting yourself at risk of being struck by an out-of-control vehicle, or you could impede first responders.
Other steps to take include (if you can):
- Call 911. Others have probably already done so, but don’t assume;
- Seek emergency medical care and
- Contact a car accident injury attorney.
The reason why it’s essential to seek medical care is that it may take patients a few days to experience the onset of some injuries, like whiplash or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). During and after an accident, your body is running on adrenaline, and once that subsides, you’ll feel the full impact of the collision. Also, having your injuries documented by a healthcare provider will strengthen your personal injury case. Other injuries winter car accident victims may experience could include back and spinal injuries, head injuries, broken bones and fractures, lacerations and resulting scarring, soft tissue and internal organ injuries, and psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Winter Truck Accidents
Another serious winter driving hazard is tractor-trailer accidents. These big rigs are especially vulnerable in inclement weather due to their size and weight. Icy roads can cause semis to jackknife, blocking traffic lanes. Strong winds can cause loads to shift, which makes navigating exit ramps and changing lanes especially tricky. Tractor-trailers also generate significant snow and slush spray, which can reduce visibility for other drivers. These trucks also need a lot more stopping space, so other drivers shouldn’t dart in front of them or follow one too closely. The types of injuries sustained in accidents with tractor-trailer trucks include severe whiplash and spinal injuries, TBIs, broken bones, and internal injuries. These accidents can also result in tragic death on the highways. They can be much more catastrophic (or fatal) than passenger vehicle winter driving accidents, given the truck’s volume.
If you have suffered a car accident injury due to winter driving conditions, it’s essential that you contact a car accident injury lawyer as soon as possible. You may be able to recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, vehicle repair or replacement, and pain and suffering, if another driver was found to be negligent.
Your car accident attorney will collect police and first responders’ reports, your medical records and bills, documentation of lost wages, witness statements, road condition reports, and other evidence to support your claim. They will file a claim with the negligent drivers (could be more than one) or the trucking company’s insurance company on your behalf. During that time, you can focus on recovering from your injuries. It’s important that you carefully follow your physician’s and attorney’s advice. Don’t discuss your case on social media, and do not talk with the negligent party’s insurance company. The insurance company may try to solely blame the weather on your car accident or offer you a low-ball settlement. If an insurance company contacts you, refer them to your attorney.
Call Oliver Law Office to Schedule an Accident Consultation
If you’ve been injured in a winter car accident, contact Oliver Law Office at 614-220-9100 or use our online contact form to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced car accident injury attorneys. Since we’re a contingency firm, we don’t get paid a fee until we win and get the compensation you deserve. Call us today. We have offices in Columbus and Dublin and we offer consultants by phone and zoom conference all over the state of Ohio.
