How Rain and Fog Contribute to Car Accidents in East Tennessee

The Johnson City car accident attorneys at The Haynes Firm understand how East Tennessee’s weather patterns impact drivers. In cities like Bristol and Kingsport and nearby Appalachian areas, heavy rainfall in spring and summer is followed by fog and mist in the fall and winter, all of which can make driving, even short distances, that much more difficult.

According to the Department of Transportation, around 12% of all car accidents involve inclement weather. These crashes account for an average of 11% of motor vehicle injuries and 9% of fatalities every year. Rain and mist are the most dangerous, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the wrecks, with freezing precipitation playing a role in most of the rest. Low visibility, which is unavoidable when fog blankets highways and mountain passes, is a factor in around 5% of crashes, but is often a contributing factor during heavy rain and misty conditions as well.

In 2024, 3,782 crashes resulted in serious or fatal injury in Tennessee. These include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other serious harm that can impact a person’s ability to work, socialize, and spend time with family. They can also result in excessive and ongoing medical expenses and untold amounts of pain and suffering. All of these things must be taken into account when seeking compensation following an accident. Having a car accident attorney on your side helps to ensure that all of the ways a wreck has impacted your life are considered, and the full compensation you deserve is sought.

Our Johnson City Car Accident Attorneys Are Here to Help

If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in a crash during a weather event, you may be entitled to seek compensation beyond what your insurance is offering. Call The Haynes Firm at 423-928-0165 to schedule a FREE consultation with one of our Johnson City car accident attorneys and let us help you understand your rights.

Determining Liability When Weather Is a Factor

There are a number of things that can factor into a car crash. While bad weather itself may not be a primary cause, how drivers adjust their behavior to conditions often is. Things that may increase someone’s liability in a weather-related car crash include:

• Driving too fast for conditions (even if under the posted speed limit).
• Following too closely when visibility is reduced by fog or heavy rain.
• Failure to use headlights or taillights in foggy and rainy conditions.
• Worn or unsafe tires or windshield wipers that reduce traction and visibility.
• Sudden lane changes or braking on slick pavement without signaling.
• Ignoring road warnings or overhead dynamic message signs.

In Tennessee, liability is determined by proving that a driver’s actions (or failure to act responsibly) led to the collision. Nature can’t be held accountable. A driver who ignores the risks of poor visibility or slick roads, on the other hand, can.

What If My Actions Contributed to the Crash?

Tennessee follows a modified comparative fault rule (see Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-11-103). Under this system, you can recover damages as long as you are less than 50% at fault for the accident. However, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.

For example, if you were driving too fast for conditions in the rain and found to be 20% at fault for a crash, your recovery would be reduced by 20%. In this scenario, if your total award was $100,000, it would be reduced to $80,000.

At The Haynes Firm, our Johnson City car accident attorneys understand that weather-related collisions pose unique challenges. We take time to thoroughly investigate every aspect of these crashes to determine what happened, why it happened, and who can be held liable. During your free case review with one of our attorneys, we will listen to your account of the accident, discuss the investigative process, and help you determine how best to proceed.

The Role of a Car Accident Attorney in Pursuing Damages

After a weather-related car crash, insurance companies may be quick to suggest that an “act of God” caused the accident, not their insured driver. And, sure, weather may have played a part, but a seasoned car accident attorney will look deeper to unearth all factors and determine if negligence also played a role.

A car accident attorney can help by:

• Investigating the crash scene to determine the extent to which weather and driver negligence contributed.
• Collecting and preserving evidence, such as photos, skid marks, vehicle damage, and surveillance footage.
• Consulting with accident reconstruction experts to show how negligence contributed to the wreck.
• Challenging the insurance company’s arguments that the crash was unavoidable due to weather events.
• Calculating full damages, including medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering.
• Negotiating for a fair settlement or, if negotiations fail, taking your case to court to fight for the compensation you deserve.

Importantly, not all car accident lawyers are experienced in the courtroom. When selecting a car crash attorney, be sure to choose one with sufficient trial experience who is willing to take your case as far as needed in their pursuit of justice.

The Haynes Firm Knows Tennessee

The winding highways of East Tennessee, from I-26 in Johnson City to the fog-prone stretches of I-80 near Kingsport, see plenty of accidents. It takes local knowledge to unpack how these collisions occur. At The Haynes Firm, our attorneys live here, drive these same roads, and have decades of experience representing clients injured in wrecks throughout the region.

An award-winning legal team with proven trial experience, we know how to investigate accidents to determine all of their causes. Fully committed to helping our clients recover damages for both their economic and non-economic losses, we have secured a number of significant settlements and verdicts for car crash victims throughout Tennessee. When it comes to weather-related accidents, we know how insurers often push back. We don’t back down. We’re here to make sure you are treated fairly and not punished for someone else’s mistakes.

Contact Our Johnson City Car Accident Attorneys for FREE

To schedule a FREE case review with one of our Johnson City car accident attorneys, contact The Haynes Firm online or call us today. We serve clients throughout Tennessee, including in Kingsport, Bristol, Elizabethton, Greenville, and beyond.