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How to Reduce Your Risk of Hydroplaning

Driving in the rain can be a challenging task, and one of the most frightening dangers involved is the risk of hydroplaning. I have seen many car accidents and serious injuries result from people losing their cars in this way. Even people that are adept at driving in the rain can hydroplane if they do not take the proper precautions. As we get further into winter, the weather will get worse, which means that we need to drive with even greater caution. With this article, I hope to provide greater insight into how to avoid hydroplaning, and what to do if your car begins to skid.

Reducing the risk: Hydroplaning occurs when the tires lose grip on the road and slide along the water that covers it. The car’s speed is one of the biggest factors involved in making this happen. Once a car reaches a certain speed, driving in the rain becomes basically the same thing as driving on ice. When the combination of water on the road and the speed of the vehicle is enough, the weight of the car will not be great enough to maintain traction. While speeding is a common cause of hydroplaning, it is just as harmful to slam on the brakes. This will make the car very difficult to control, and may turn it sideways as it hydroplanes. To make sure you avoid having to break suddenly, always keep a safe distance between you and the car in front of you.

Another very important factor in hydroplaning is the tire quality of a car. When a tire is worn out, the tread can no longer disperse the water from underneath the car. Before you drive in the rain, make sure your tires have good tread depth and pressure.

What to do if your vehicle hydroplanes: The risk of hydroplaning can be significantly reduced by having good tires and slowing down, but it still happens, so it is important to know how to handle it. It is not always easy to know if you are hydroplaning, but when it is serious, you will be able to easily recognize the lack of power you have over what your vehicle is doing. When this happens, the worst thing you can do is slam on your brakes or turn your steering wheel. When you do either of these, the car will skid even worse and may turn sideways as it hydroplanes. Instead, hold the steering wheel tightly in a straight-forward direction and ease off the accelerator. If you feel your rear tires hydroplaning, you can turn the steering wheel into the skid to regain traction, but need to immediately turn the wheel back forward once you do. If your car has an anti-lock braking system, you can brake normally to slow down the car. For vehicles that do not have ABS, lightly pumping the brake is the best way to stop.

Jason Epstein is a partner at the Seattle and Bellevue based personal injury law firm Premier Law Group. As a Washington injury lawyer, Bellevue auto accident attorney and Renton car crash lawyer, Jason has fought insurance companies for over 10 years. For more information from Seattle car accident lawyer Jason Epstein, click the preceding link. You can also get his books on Washington auto accidents for free by clicking on the preceding link.

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Hiring a Great Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Having fought on the behalf of seriously injured motorcyclists for over a decade, I know how unique motorcycle accident cases are. While I also represent victims injured in auto accidents as well as other kinds of accidents, I have discovered that motorcycle cases have distinctive characteristics and cannot be adequately fought with just any kind of attorney. It is of the utmost importance to hire the best attorney for your case, but that is certainly not an easy task unless you know exactly what to look for. Due to the unique circumstances and lingo involved in motorcycle accident cases, a very specific lawyer is required to handle these types of cases. Here are two of the most important traits to look for when choosing an attorney for your case:

Experience Fighting Motorcycle Cases. For the most part, juries come into motorcycle accident cases with a bias against the motorcyclist. The insurance companies know this, and will try to make liability an issue if the case goes to court. To level the playing field against this strategy, you need to have a savvy lawyer with experience fighting motorcycle accident cases. It is important for the lawyer to make your side of the story and the facts involved as clear as possible for the jury. The damages from a motorcycle accident make for another unique aspect of the case. Injuries are usually much more substantial, as is the pain and suffering that comes with them. To find an attorney with the experience you need, first you should narrow it down to those who specialize in personal injury cases. After you have done that, you can narrow the search even further by researching lawyers in your area online. When you schedule a meeting with one of them, be sure to ask about their experience in motorcycle accident cases.

Experience on a Motorcycle. You need a lawyer who understands exactly what you are going through. This means someone who has experience on a motorcycle and knows the thrills and fear that come along with riding one. I have no doubt that my many years of riding a motorcycle have made me better prepared to represent motorcycle accident victims. I can paint a better picture to the insurance companies and jury because I know what it feels like to be on a motorcycle. There is lingo that is specific to motorcycles, and it is crucial for an attorney to understand what it means and how to use it. An attorney that has experience on a motorcycle can sympathize with what you are going through and use their knowledge to get you the money you deserve.

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