Suffering from a Connecticut auto crash injury caused by icy road conditions? A recent jury verdict shows that even the state can’t always escape liability for such accidents.
According to the Associated Press, a Thomaston, Connecticut, man has been awarded a $1.6 million verdict after an icy Connecticut road left him with serious back injuries.
The man was injured on Route 8 when his car hit a patch of black ice and rolled over, also injuring three other people in the car. The man sued the Connecticut Department of Transportation, claiming the Department did not act quickly enough to make the road safe.
According to witnesses, the state police reported the icy road conditions to the Department of Transportation at least one hour before the Route 8 car accident. The DOT argued that its response time was appropriate given the conditions of the roads that night.
Successfully holding the state responsible for failing to clear away snow or ice can be a difficult task. The verdict in this case is rare, but promising. It shows that the state must take action to clear public roadways as quickly as possible when snow and ice make conditions treacherous. If it fails to do so, it can be held liable for car accidents that occur as a result of the road conditions.
Perhaps more importantly, though, is our own responsibility. We must all drive safely on ice and snow. Reducing speed, taking turns carefully, watching out for icy patches, keeping our distance behind other drivers – these are a few of the many precautions every driver is tasked to take.
When someone fails to drive safely in wintery conditions and causes a Connecticut car crash, he or she can be held liable for resulting injuries.
Source: Insurance Journal, “$1.6M Award for Connecticut Man Injured in Icy Road Accident,” Associated Press, Dec. 27, 2011.