Key Takeaways:
- Pennsylvania roads may become especially slick during the first minutes of summer rainfall.
- Drivers must adjust their speed for weather and roadway conditions.
- “Hydroplaning” does not automatically excuse a driver who strikes a motorcycle.
- Photos, witness statements, police reports, and roadway evidence can help establish fault.
- Pennsylvania’s “comparative negligence” law may affect compensation when more than one party shares responsibility.
Pennsylvania riders can get into a summer motorcycle accident when heat, oil residue, and sudden rainfall reduce roadway traction. A driver who hydroplanes into a motorcycle is not automatically free from liability, however, just because the weather played a role. Pennsylvania motorists must adjust their driving to weather, visibility, traffic, and roadway conditions.
Why Do Pennsylvania Highway Surfaces Get Exceptionally Slick?
Summer heat and sudden rain can make Pennsylvania highways hazardous, and roads may be particularly slippery during the first 10 to 15 minutes of rainfall, when water brings oil in the pavement to the surface.
Standing water creates another danger, as hydroplaning can occur at speeds as low as 35 mph when water is only one-tenth of an inch deep, with worn tires increasing the risk.
For motorcycles, reduced traction can affect braking, steering, and stability, and painted lane markings, metal surfaces, pooled water, and debris can create additional hazards during storms.
Who Is Liable if a Car Hydroplanes and Strikes Your Motorcycle?
Hydroplaning may explain why a vehicle lost traction, but it does not necessarily determine who is responsible. Under Pennsylvania law, drivers must operate at a reasonable and prudent speed based on actual conditions, including weather and highway hazards.
After a rain-slick road motorcycle crash, investigators may examine whether the driver:
- Failed to slow down for rain or standing water
- Followed the motorcycle too closely
- Changed lanes or braked aggressively
- Continued at an unsafe speed despite poor visibility
- Drove with worn or inadequately maintained tires
- Was distracted before losing control
In a hydroplaning motorcycle crash in PA, riders may also face allegations that they contributed to the collision. Pennsylvania uses comparative negligence, which means that an injured person may recover damages when their negligence is not greater than the defendant’s causal negligence, although the award is reduced according to their percentage of fault.
Steps to Take at the Scene After a Rain-Related Crash
Safety should come first after a wet-weather motorcycle collision.
When possible, take the following steps:
- Call 911 if someone is injured
- Move away from active traffic when doing so is safe
- Exchange driver, registration, and insurance information
- Photograph standing water, road surfaces, vehicle positions, damage, and nearby signs
- Obtain contact information from witnesses
- Avoid guessing about fault when speaking with police or insurers
Pennsylvania law requires drivers to immediately notify police when a crash involves injury, death, or certain disabling vehicle damage.
How a Pennsylvania Bikers Have Rights Lawyer Proves Driver Negligence in Bad Weather Collisions
A U.S.-422 motorcycle accident lawyer investigating a wet-weather motorcycle crash may focus on what the motorist did before hydroplaning occurred. Relevant evidence in these instances may include the following:
- Police crash reports
- Scene photographs and video
- Dashcam or surveillance footage
- Witness statements
- Tire condition
- Vehicle damage
- Weather records
- Roadway drainage information
- Driver statements
The central question may be whether the driver should have slowed down, increased following distance, or changed driving behavior before losing control.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Can a driver be liable after hydroplaning into a motorcycle?
Yes. Liability may depend on whether the motorist drove at a reasonable speed and responded appropriately to weather and roadway conditions.
Why are roads especially slippery when summer rain begins?
PennDOT states that rainfall can bring oil to the pavement surface, making roads particularly slippery during the first 10 to 15 minutes.
Can a motorcyclist recover compensation if partly responsible?
Potentially. Pennsylvania comparative negligence law permits recovery when the rider’s causal negligence is not greater than the defendant’s, subject to a reduction based on the rider’s percentage of fault.
Injured in a Summer Rain Motorcycle Accident? An Experienced Pennsylvania Motorcycle Accident Lawyer at Bikers Have Rights Can Examine the Details of Your Claim to Help Get You the Compensation You Deserve
If you have experienced a rain-related crash and are facing overwhelming medical expenses, lost income, motorcycle damage, and insurance disputes, contact a Pennsylvania motorcycle accident lawyer at Bikers Have Rights today. To schedule a free consultation, call 877-333-0300 or fill out our online contact form. Located in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, we proudly serve clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.