Is Hydroplaning an At-Fault Accident?

Is Hydroplaning an At-Fault Accident?

Arizona is an at-fault state when it comes to car accidents, including those involving hydroplaning. If you hydroplaned and lost control of your vehicle, you might feel the accident was unavoidable. However, it is important to know what the law says about whether hydroplaning is an at-fault accident.

Are You at Fault if You Have an Accident While Hydroplaning?

While drivers certainly have no control over the weather, Arizona courts will usually consider someone to be at fault for hydroplaning accidents especially if they were speeding or not maintaining a safe distance. If the court deems that you were driving recklessly before or while hydroplaning, they may assign you fault for the accident.

Many instances of hydroplaning result in rear-end collisions because the hydroplaning vehicle is not capable of stopping in time. Fault in a rear-end collision typically depends on whether you were driving aggressively or failing to respect the risks of adverse weather conditions.

However, another party might be at fault for your hydroplaning accident if someone else was behaving negligently or if a vehicle defect was responsible in any way. Poor road conditions, such as inadequate drainage or lack of maintenance, can also be a factor, even though the weather itself cannot be to blame.

What Should You Do After a Hydroplaning Accident?

The first step after any accident is to move to a safe location and confirm your well-being, especially if there is ongoing inclement weather. The next steps to take after a hydroplaning accident are to:

• Call 911 immediately to report the accident
• Seek medical attention, even if you do not sense any injuries
• Document the accident when it is safe to do so
• Exchange information with any other drivers involved
• Contact your car accident attorney in Phoenix as soon as possible

It is important that you do not admit fault for the hydroplaning accident. This applies when you are exchanging information with other drivers at the scene, when you are speaking to police responders and when you report the accident to your insurance provider.

If no one admits fault for the accident, do not panic. Our team of car accident attorneys at Sargon Law Group can investigate the cause of the accident and help determine each party’s degree of hydroplane accident fault.

Does Insurance Pay if You Hydroplane?

If you experience a hydroplaning accident and it comes to light that someone else is at fault, the insurance provider for the at-fault party will be responsible for covering your damages. If you are at fault for a hydroplaning accident involving another vehicle, your insurance policy will pay for the other party’s damages.

Insurance experts explain that collision coverage will pay for your damage if you experience a single-car hydroplaning accident. This means that insurance will pay if you hydroplane so long as the accident does not involve another vehicle.

Sargon Law Group Can Help You Determine Hydroplane Accident Fault

The shock of experiencing a hydroplaning accident can leave you unsure of what to do next, especially if you believe you share the blame. Our team of car accident attorneys at Sargon Law Group is ready to help drivers in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Colorado. Contact us today for a free consultation with our Phoenix injury lawyer regarding your at-fault hydroplaning accident.