Winter Car Accidents: Navigating Ice and Snow and Receiving the Compensation You Deserve

While many Michiganders enjoy a snow-covered landscape, few enjoy icy roads and blinding storms. Hazards such as black ice cannot always be avoided, but reducing speed and taking other precautions can lower the risk of a serious winter car accident.

Here is a guide to safer winter driving and why it is important to call an experienced car accident attorney if you or a loved one is injured.

THE LATEST WINTER CAR ACCIDENT STATISTICS

According to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts for October 2023 through April 2024, many winter crashes involved driving too fast for conditions or being unable to stop in time on ice, snow or slush.

Here are those seasonal figures:

• There were 22,713 crashes, 36 of them fatal
• An estimated 3,938 people were injured
• The most frequently reported factor, cited in 15,610 crashes, was speeding or driving too fast for conditions
• The second most common factor, cited in 5,805 crashes, was failing to stop in time
• Deer were involved in 1,547 crashes, or 6.8 percent of the winter total
• In 80.7 percent of the winter crashes, the posted limit was 55 mph or lower
• Nearly half (49.7 percent) involved only one vehicle
• Rear-end crashes were 17.4 percent of the total; 11.8 percent were angle crashes
• Oakland County had the most winter-weather crashes (2,685), followed by Wayne (2,671), Kent (1,315), Macomb (1,130) and Genesee (788)

Separately, Michigan State Police calendar-year data for 2024 counted 15,491 crashes on snow, 10,969 on ice and 2,391 on slush.

DOES MICHIGAN NO-FAULT COVER WINTER CAR ACCIDENTS?

In most cases, yes. Injured drivers and passengers typically receive Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits from their own No-Fault policy, or a policy covering a spouse or relative in the same household. PIP can include medical care, prescriptions, therapy and attendant care, up to the medical limit the policyholder chose. It also covers 85% of lost wages for up to three years and $20 per day for replacement services, subject to the statute.

Because the 2019 No-Fault reforms let policyholders choose PIP medical limits, some victims have bills above those limits.

To pursue excess medical costs and noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering, the injured person generally must show another driver was more than 50 percent at fault and that the injury meets Michigan’s threshold. An experienced car accident attorney can evaluate those issues.

HOW IS FAULT DETERMINED IN A WINTER CAR ACCIDENT?

To recover noneconomic damages and medical bills above PIP limits from another driver, you generally must be less than 50 percent at fault.

Evidence used to sort out fault can include:

• Photos of the vehicles and the scene
• Witness statements
• Video footage
• The police report
• Event data from the vehicles
• Statements and testimony from drivers, passengers and witnesses

Insurers often try to shift blame. A car accident attorney can gather evidence and present your side of the crash.

HOW TO SURVIVE A WINTER CAR EMERGENCY

Prepare the vehicle before winter:

• Inspect tires monthly for damage and wear
• Fill tires to the pressure in the owner’s manual
• Keep a spare tire in good condition
• Check headlights, brake lights, turn signals, flashers and interior lights
• Replace worn wiper blades
• Use de-icer washer fluid and keep extra in the trunk
• Check coolant
• Keep the gas tank at least half full in cold weather
• Pack winter supplies, including:
  • Ice scraper
  • Snow shovel
  • Sand or kitty litter
  • Jumper cables
  • Flashlight and warning devices such as flares
  • Blankets
  • Phone charger
  • Water and non-perishable food
  • First aid kit

If you are stranded:

• Do not idle with the windows shut in an enclosed space
• If you must run the engine to stay warm, clear snow from the exhaust pipe and run it only as long as needed
• Put bright markers on the antenna or windows and keep the dome light on
• Call for help if anyone is injured or at risk of harm

CONTACT OUR EXPERIENCED MICHIGAN CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS TODAY

If you or a loved one is injured in a Michigan car accident, we can help. Our experienced lawyers have the skills, knowledge and resources to pursue the compensation you and your family deserve.

Michigan car accident law is complicated, but finding the right car accident attorney is simple.

Don’t let the legal clock run out. Start your case today by filling out the brief form below or contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.