Car Accident (Auto Accident)

Car Accident

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injuries in this country each year. Automobile crashes fall into three general areas of liability:

  1. negligent driver
  2. defects in the road
  3. defects with the vehicles

The majority of motor vehicle collisions, including car accidents, are caused by negligent drivers who crash their vehicles due to driver error. These can lead to claims by persons injured outside the vehicle and by passengers injured within the vehicle. While most negligent drivers are covered by some form of automobile insurance, the amount of money recovered and how it is applied has become increasingly litigated over the past several years. Not only do injured persons have the right to recover against the responsible party, but most of us also have a right to recover from our own insurance policies under certain circumstances, including when the responsible party does not have insurance or not enough insurance. Understanding these rights and how they interrelate to maximize your recovery requires an experienced attorney who will be an advocate for you to ensure that your rights are fully protected.

In addition to negligent drivers, road defects, impairments and obstructions can also contribute to car accidents and motorcycle crashes. While minor road irregularities must be expected, government entities as well as private parties can be held responsible for defects or obstructions in the roadway which they cause or fail to correct in certain circumstances. While, thankfully these cases are less frequent than those involving negligent drivers, it is important to have your case reviewed by an experienced attorney who is familiar with the law and can identify these issues when presented.

Product liability claims involving motor vehicles are perhaps the least frequent causes of motor vehicle crashes, including car accidents. The recent Firestone tire litigation is an example of where a product failure was blamed for motor vehicle crashes. As with roadway defect cases, this area of the law requires experienced attorneys to review the specific facts in each case to determine if product liability issues may be involved in causing the collision or injuries.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury as the result of a car accident, please call our office to speak with an experienced attorney for a free consultation to review your case. There are specific deadlines for filing claims arising from an automobile crash and if you fail to file a claim before the deadline, (known as the“statute of limitations), the claim could be lost forever. So please call now.