Featured News 2014 Who’s at Fault in Common Car Accidents?

Who’s at Fault in Common Car Accidents?

In some accidents, it takes investigations, interviews, and possibly even a court case to determine who is at fault. Yet there are other cases where the at-fault party is pretty obvious. Courts typically can determine who was at-fault in certain car accidents just by hearing the nature of the accident. This article discusses some of the common car accident situations and who is at-fault in these situations.

First, the courts can typically determine which driver is at-fault in a rear-end accident. Normally, the driver of the tailing vehicle is at fault because he or she was not following at a safe distance. Even if the driver that was in the front of the accident slammed on his or her brakes too fast, the driver behind may still be liable.

Drivers are supposed to leave enough space in-between their car and the car ahead so that they can make a safe stop even if the braking is sudden. If a drive fails to follow at a safe distance, he or she can probably avoid the accident. Also, if a driver was distracted and did not notice the brake lights ahead because he or she was texting, talking on the phone, fiddling with the radio, or another offense, then this can lead to the belief that this individual is at-fault.

In some specific situations, the lead driver may be at-fault of an accident. If the lead driver cuts in front of the following driver too closely, or if the lead driver accidentally puts his or her vehicle in reverse and then backs into the driver behind, then he or she would be at-fault.

Secondly, the courts can typically determine who is at-fault in a chain-reaction car accident. The courts will want to know where the collision began. If Driver B hits Driver A, because Driver B was following too closely, and then Driver C hit Driver B in the sudden braking, then both Drivers B and C could be considered at-fault because they were following too closely to the car ahead. Normally, courts rely on witness accounts in chain-reaction car accidents and will also inspect the damage on several cars to learn how they were hit and at what speed they were hit.

In side-impact accidents the driver that hit the side of another is normally at fault. Normally, these crashes happen liked a T, with one vehicle hitting another right on the passenger or driver's door. In these cases, if a driver clearly ran a red light or stop sign and hit another in an intersection, then that individual is at-fault. Also, if a driver cut in front of another during a turn, then the aggressive driver may be at-fault. In some cases, T-bone accidents may happen as a result of failing brakes or another vehicle defect.

Lastly, in no-contact car accidents, one driver can still be liable for the injuries of another. This happens when the behavior of one individual causes the accident of another car. For example, if a driver swerves into your lane, forcing you to swerve over, which causes you to hit a light-pole on the side of the road, than the swerving driver it at-fault. In no-contact car accidents, it is important to establish the way in which a driver caused the crash. If you want more information about accidents of this nature, you can talk with a trustworthy lawyer at the firm today. A reliable attorney can assist you in getting the help that you need in your case and help you to establish the party that was at-fault for your car accident!

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