Who’s Fault Was That Accident?

In 2020, there were 35,766 fatal vehicle accidents in the United States. These statistics show that there were 11.7 deaths for every 100,000 people.

Determining the cause of vehicle accidents is very important in these instances. A vehicle accident is serious, and the cause needs to be determined.

This can be a bit difficult since a lot happens in a car accident. You may not realize who hit who first or what started the whole thing.

Keep reading to find out who is at fault in a vehicle accident and why the fault is important.

Rear-End Collisions

A common type of Vehicle accident is a rear-end collision. Rear-ends happen when a vehicle hits the vehicle in front of it, causing damage to the bumper. 

In most cases, the person who struck the vehicle is going to be at fault. Rear-end collisions are usually the result of the driver not paying attention to the car in front of them.

They may have also been driving too close to the car in front of them. This could result in an inability to stop quickly enough if the vehicle in front of them stops.

In rare instances, the front driver may be at fault as well. This could happen if they are going far below the speed limit or brake very suddenly.

But this is much rarer since rear-end collisions shouldn’t happen if cars are spaced far enough. Rear-ends are an example of why it’s important to not tail other drivers.

In rarer instances, a third party could be at fault. This could be poor weather that makes invisibility difficult or something that goes wrong with one of the vehicles.

Sideswipe Accident

Another common vehicle collision is a sideswipe collision. Sideswipes happen when two vehicles collide when they are driving side-by-side.

This could involve cars coming from opposite directions or going in the same direction. There are varying degrees of sideswipe accidents.

Some sideswipes are very mild where the vehicles brush against each other. In other instances, it could be a serious collision that causes both vehicles to lose control.

Many people are injured in vehicle accident that involves a sideswipe. Damage will often depend on how fast the vehicles are going and where the impact’s made.

The person at fault is usually decided based on evidence of negligence. They may have failed to a signal when changing lanes or driven distracted.

They may have veered into the next lane or tried to pass another vehicle. These are all examples of where a driver may be the one at fault.

Parking Lot Collision

A surprisingly common type of car accident our parking lot collisions. This often involves a vehicle that is backing up and hitting another vehicle.

The good news is that parking lot collisions are not usually as severe. Vehicles are going at lower speeds, and the majority of vehicles are parked.

If a vehicle is backing up and hits another vehicle, that vehicle is usually at fault. This is because the driver may have failed to check behind them or reversed too quickly.

It is their responsibility to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in their path. They will be at fault, even if the other vehicle was driving too quickly.

T-Bone Collision

Another common type of vehicle accident is a T-bone collision. A T-bone accidents is when a vehicle hits another vehicle on the side.

This creates a T shape when one vehicle fails to give the other vehicle the right of way. T-bones can happen at a red light or a stop sign where vehicles have to allow others to pass.

Most of the time, the driver who did not give the right of way is at fault. They may have committed a crime like driving through a red light or not yielding to a stop sign. But the other party may also be at fault if they are speeding or driving distracted.

Motorcycle Accident

Another kind of accident involves motorcycles and vehicles. A motorcycle may strike another vehicle, or the vehicle may strike a nearby motorcycle.

Determining the person at fault can be quite difficult in these instances. In most cases, it is the driver’s fault for not paying attention to the motorcyclist.

Both the motorcyclist and driver could be at fault if both failed to yield or were negligent.

But there are instances where the motorcyclist may also be at fault. If you have been in a motorcycle accident, you may need to find motorcycle accident representation.

Multiple-Car Accident

A chain reaction collision or multiple-car accident is a serious type of crash. Multiple-car accidents are when two or more vehicles are involved in the crash, causing a pile-up.

Multiple-car accidents are extra tricky accident to unpack since there are many drivers involved. The crash will need to be examined to understand where it originally started.

For example, a red car may have been speeding and hit a blue car in front of it. This could have caused the blue car to lose control and hit a yellow car to the side.

In this multiple-car accident, the red car would be at fault. The other vehicle would simply be a side effect of being initially hit, causing it to hit another.

This can be very difficult to determine if there are multiple vehicles involved. There are some instances where a third party may also be at fault.

For example, black ice may have caused the red car to lose control, hitting the blue car. Multiple things will be determined to decide if anyone was truly negligent.

Head-On Collision

A very serious car accident is a head-on collision. This occurs when two vehicles going opposite directions collide directly.

This can happen if one driver is not paying attention to the road. They may be on their phone, or they may be looking for something in their vehicle.

These distractions could cause them to take their eyes off the road and veer into the opposite lane. Head-on collisions have a high percentage of serious injuries and fatalities.

The situation will be examined to decide who veered into the opposite lane first. The driver that did this will be the one who is at fault.

Is One Person Always at Fault?

You may think that there is always one person at fault, but that isn’t the reality. Cut-and-dry accidents are when a single driver is 100% at fault.

For example, they may have run a red light and hit someone who was driving through. But both drivers can also maintain some level of fault.

The percentage of fault is very important for insurance coverage. For instance, if someone is 49% at fault, they would qualify for more damages.

There are also instances where both drivers are at fault equally. Sometimes this’s determined if there is no way of deciding who is at fault specifically.

It is also important to recognize that there are no-fault vehicle accidents. There are circumstances that can result in vehicles colliding with one another.

Examples of this include black ice that is not visible to the drivers. Or an animal may have run into the road, or there may have been heavy rain, making it difficult to see.

Police and the insurance company will examine external elements to see if they caused the accident.

Why Does it Matter Who Was at Fault?

Who is at fault in a vehicle accident is very important for insurance coverage. You may not qualify for coverage or compensation if you were the one at fault.

This is usually only awarded to the driver who was not at fault when the accident occuredt. The victim could also file a lawsuit to receive compensation for bodily or property damage.

The driver at fault does not qualify for any of these benefits. The person at fault may also have this added to their police file.

A report could be later used as evidence if they were ever involved in another crash. You may also receive a fine if you were the one at fault if you were breaking the law.

A driver who runs a red light will often get a fine and get a ticket. They will have these expenses along with any damages they have to cover.

Vehicle Accident: Determining the Driver at Fault

If there has been a vehicle accident, the person at fault will need to be determined. This will showcase who started the accident and who qualifies for insurance coverage.

Did you enjoy reading this article on vehicle accidents? Keep reading for more useful information.

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