We spend hours a week in our automobiles, treating them as almost second homes. However, despite our comfort, the risk of harm inside a vehicle is very real. There are millions of automobile accidents each year - and many of them can inflict serious damage and injury upon those involved.
If you've been in an accident, it's important to get the compensation that you deserve to get your life back on track. To obtain this compensation, you'll need to understand car accident fault.
In many states, it's the driver that is at fault who becomes responsible for the damage done during the accident. For this reason, determining fault in an accident situation is incredibly important if you want to file a claim.
What do you need to know about establishing fault in this kind of circumstance? Read on and we'll walk you through what you need to know.
When we refer to fault in relation to a car accident, we are talking about identifying which driver involved in an accident acted in a way that led to the incident itself.
There are many reasons why a driver may be found at fault: they could have been less responsive and failed to hit their brakes, they may have been speeding, running a stop sign, or driving while inebriated.
There are many reasons why a driver may be at fault, but generally speaking, they all involve finding a way in which a driver acted negligently - or lacking the duty of care that we expect all licensed drivers to live up to.
Fault is important because it assigns liability to one party for the damages that have occurred. In many instances, insurance companies will need to hear which driver is at fault before starting any insurance claim for the damages that occurred.
Different states across the country have different laws when it comes to determining fault in a car accident.
Some states across the country actually have no-fault laws in place. Florida is one of them. In these states, it doesn't matter who was at fault for the accident.
Laws are in place that require the respective insurance companies involved to cover the damage done in an accident, even for drivers who are not at fault.
This can make it easier to sort out compensation after an accident and helps protect drivers who may get into an accident with an uninsured driver.
Many states also consider relative fault. There's a chance that both drivers acted negligently, after all. In these circumstances, a percentage of fault is awarded to each driver, and this percentage impacts how much compensation they can seek.
Even in a no-fault state, you may still run into issues getting the compensation that you deserve.
If your insurance company is trying to give you a low payout, you may need to seek additional compensation from them or from the driver that caused the accident - bringing the question of fault into the equation once again.
If you're looking to file a claim with your insurance company after a wreck, you'll need to make sure you understand car accident fault. The above information can help provide the basics you'll need to know.
Need immediate help with your case from an experienced car accident attorney? Give us a call anytime for help.
