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Motor Vehicle and Premises Liability Complexities Resulting From Low-Light Conditions

A live 90-minute CLE video webinar with interactive Q&A

This program is included with the Strafford CLE Pass. Click for more information.
This program is included with the Strafford All-Access Pass. Click for more information.

Thursday, October 9, 2025

1:00pm-2:30pm EDT, 10:00am-11:30am PDT

Early Registration Discount Deadline, Friday, September 12, 2025

or call 1-800-926-7926
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This CLE webinar will provide guidance for investigating and trying personal injury cases in which low illumination is a factor in liability, focusing on motor vehicle accidents and premises liability incidents. The panel will offer best practices for investigating these cases, review the types of experts often retained, and explore overcoming challenges with accident reconstruction.

Description

When someone is injured in an accident on a dark road or in a poorly lit parking lot, determining liability becomes a complex issue. Many lawyers overlook how important lighting, or the lack of it, is. Understanding the science of low illumination on visibility, perception, and reaction time is essential. Investigation of the incident itself can be challenging. The same visibility and perception challenges also affect witnesses.

Both the injuring and the injured party are expected to adjust to prevailing conditions and both may be at fault whether the incident is a car wreck, a slip and fall, or pedestrian injury. Comparative negligence and apportionment play pivotal roles in these cases. Experts are often needed to determine how much time a driver or pedestrian had to react, and that means being able to deftly handle Daubert and FRE 702 issues.

Counsel in these cases must always consider whether third parties are also liable. Many county and city ordinances specify lighting requirements, so being able to research these is important to case evaluation. Property owners, municipalities, and other third parties that fail to comply or maintain proper lighting may be additional defendants.

Listen as our renowned panel of vehicle accident and premises liability attorneys discusses how low-light conditions affect case evaluation and liability, and offers insights for navigating the nuances of these common but complex cases.

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Outline

  1. Defining low illumination
  2. Investigation challenges
  3. Identifying all defendants
  4. Establishing the standard of care owed to plaintiff and its breach
  5. Role of experts
  6. Contending with contributory and comparative negligence

Benefits

The panel will review these and other significant issues:

  • Why are vehicle accidents that occur at night three times more deadly?
  • If a governmental unit may be liable, what additional steps must a plaintiff's lawyer take?
  • Is there a standard for "low illumination," and who sets it?

Faculty

Kemp, Alexander
Alexander P. Kemp
Attorney
Michigan Auto Law

Mr. Kemp is dedicated to protecting and representing those who have been seriously injured in truck and car...  |  Read More

Servais, Mark
Mark E. Servais
Attorney
Michigan Auto Law

Mr. Servais is dedicated to protecting and representing individuals seriously injured in motor vehicle...  |  Read More

Attend on October 9

Early Discount (through 09/12/25)

Cannot Attend October 9?

Early Discount (through 09/12/25)

You may pre-order a recording to listen at your convenience. Recordings are available 48 hours after the webinar. Strafford will process CLE credit for one person on each recording. All formats include course handouts.

To find out which recorded format will provide the best CLE option, select your state:

CLE On-Demand Video

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