Hydroplaning Accidents – When Negligence Meets Wet Roadways

Hydroplaning is a term used to describe the sliding of vehicle tires across a wet road. These accidents can be extremely dangerous, often causing a chain reaction of crashes and injuries. While some hydroplaning incidents are unavoidable, the vast majority of them can be prevented with proper driving techniques and adequate vehicle maintenance.

What is hydroplaning?
Tires are designed to maintain traction with the roadway, even when it is wet. This is done by scattering the water to the sides, so the tires can remain in contact with the street. When the tire comes in contact with more water than it can effectively scatter, it may become separated from the road by a thin layer of water, resulting in a loss of steering or braking control.

While these potentially serious incidents can be caused by defective tires, even the best tires cannot work effectively when the driver is operating the vehicle in a negligent manner. Improper driving can keep the tires from scattering the water properly. This is particularly true following a light rain, when oil residue on the street mixes with the rain on the roadway to create extremely slippery conditions. Manmade causes, like water main breaks or sprinkler systems, can also create hazardous conditions. Drivers may underestimate the risk and choose to operate their vehicles at high speeds, which further exacerbates the danger of hydroplaning.

Driver negligence and poor vehicle maintenance can cause hydroplaning

Skilled Chicago vehicle accident attorneys know that hydroplane accidents can result from a variety of circumstances, including:

• Driving too fast on wet roadways
• Inadequately inflated tires
• Driving through puddles and standing water
• Making sharp or quick turns
• Failure to maintain adequate tires on the vehicle

Any of these negligent actions can cause a vehicle to hydroplane out of the operator’s control. Determining the exact cause of these types of accidents can be challenging. Investigators will look at the road conditions, damage to the car and driving behaviors to determine why the car hydroplaned. Fault may lie with various parties, including the driver, the manufacturer of the tires, or a combination of both.

Hydroplaning can lead to serious injuries

When vehicles hydroplane, the operator loses control. The vehicle may slide into a busy intersection or cross over into oncoming traffic. Spinning is also possible during a hydroplane, along with rollovers. Any of these scenarios can result in extensive injury to the driver, as well as others in the vicinity of the car. Common injuries from these types of vehicle crashes include:

• Broken and fractured bones
• Brain injury
• Spinal cord trauma
• Back injuries

When vehicle accidents occur, it is important to speak with a Chicago car crash lawyer as soon as possible. At Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers, we work quickly to discover the real cause of the accident and to identify everyone who is responsible. For immediate help, please call 312-600-9585 or complete our contact form to schedule an appointment.