Cross-border personal injury risks as winter approaches

Drivers in British Columbia will soon have to deal with early morning frost on their vehicles’ windshields. Those whose vehicles are kept in garages overnight are fortunate not to have to scrape and brush their windshields. However, many drivers will take to the roads with only a small opening through which to see. Those are the drivers who could cause accidents with injuries and deaths, and when this happens south of the border, complicated cross-border personal injury claims might follow.

According to the Motor Vehicle Act, drivers must ensure no frost is present to obstruct their views to the sides and the front. Furthermore, if they drive off before the rear window is clear of ice, their rear-view mirrors will be of no use. However, despite fines and penalty point risks, many drivers put other motorists and pedestrians at risk because they do not want to wait until the windows are clear of frost.

Before frost removing becomes part of the morning routine of most drivers at this time of the year, those who ignore the laws pose as many threats as drunk and distracted drivers. Therefore, drivers whose views are not obstructed may want to scan the vehicles around them as they drive. One way to stay safe is to spot and avoid those peeping through small clean circles as they navigate their routes, oblivious of the dangers they pose.

British Columbia victims of accidents caused in these circumstances will likely have grounds to pursue financial relief. When it involves cross-border personal injury, the legal and insurance proceedings become significantly more complicated. This is where the skills of a personal injury lawyer who is registered on both sides of the border come in. Legal counsel can deal with insurance adjusters and also civil litigation if such a claim goes to court.