Winter time presents many hazards and increased chance of injury. Often, simple steps and precautions can be taken to minimize the risk of injury to yourself and others. If your car is covered in snow and ice, please take the time to clean your car thoroughly so as not to drive with chunks of snow and ice being able to fall off of your car. A failure to do so, could cause injury or property damage to others. You may also be found negligent if you fail to clean your car in a proper manner. As a result of the last severe winter storm, there have been reports of ice chunks flying off of people’ cars and causing damage to vehicles of other motorists. In a report by the Hillsborough Patch, it was confirmed that a large chunk of snow and ice that was not cleared from a truck, flew off of the truck and went through the windshield of a fellow driver. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
This incident happened in New Jersey where it is illegal to drive with snow and ice on your car:
“In New Jersey, it is the law for drivers must remove all ice and snow from vehicles before driving, especially from the hood, windows and roof. Motorists who fail to do so face fines of $25 to $75 for each offense, regardless of whether the ice and snow is dislodged from the vehicle. If flying ice or snow causes property damage or injury to others, motorists face fines of $200 to $1,000 for each offense.”
Despite being proposed on prior occasions, a similar law does not exist in New York. Although a person could be held civilly negligent for their failure to remove snow and ice from their car, there is no law requiring it. Unfortunately, this appears to be one of those situations where serious and high-profile accidents have to occur before our lawmakers take notice.
If you have suffered serious injuries in a car accident, the New York personal injury attorneys at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool will give you a free consultation to determine your legal options. To see if you have grounds for a claim, call 212-406-1700 or contact us on-line. Our attorneys are selective about the cases we take, which allows us to concentrate on representing clients who have been seriously injured or killed in New York car accidents.
