Out of one’s hands / Beyond one’s control: synonyms?

I am writing something about legal defences available to a defendant.

I would like to know if these two expressions (title) can in this case be synonyms and if one is more used than the other.

Context: The defendant will not be liable if they can show that the accident could not have been avoided by exercising ordinary care and skill.

Phrase: If the driver took all due care and precaution, before and while driving, they will not be liable: the accident was completely out of their hands / beyond their control.

I initially wrote “beyond their control”, but searching on Internet, I found that the first is more common than the second.

Nevertheless, the second sounds more natural to me.

P.S. I intentionally used the “singular they” (politically correct).

I would avoid the use of expressions and instead suggest you use a single word; inevasible, or unavoidable. Both words make strong statements which are not open to interpretation or confusion.

That being said; since it appears you have narrowed your choices to be one of only two colloquial expressions, I would agree with what appears to be the majority consensus to use "beyond their control" as you initially wrote.

Because your Context is "The defendant will not be liable if they can show that the accident could not have been avoided by exercising ordinary care and skill.", that writing with a more direct approach could be more effective for your argument.

Why not try to reword your "context"?

Examples:

• "Even though my Client was exercising the same level of care and skill with which the average (defensive) driver possesses, the unfortunate outcome was inevasible/unavoidable."

• "Because my Client possesses the same abilities as the average driver, the unfortunate outcome was unavoidable/inevasible."

• "The average driver, placed in the same situation as my Client was, simply does not possess the skills needed to have avoided/evaded the outcome."