Unique Considerations For Different Types Of Car Accidents

Every motor vehicle accident has unique facts and circumstances that apply to it. Police will analyze these details to determine fault in the crash and whether any parties committed crimes. Meanwhile, personal injury lawyers will analyze the details to determine which party may be financially liable and for how much. Here are a few unique considerations that police and attorneys must consider for different types of motor vehicle collisions:

Rear-end crashes: In rear-end collisions, the rearward driver is often the one who was at fault. Police need to analyze a rear-end collision to determine if the rearward-striking motorist was distracted by a smartphone, speeding, drunk or engaged in some kind of unlawful behavior leading up to the crash. Often it’s a good idea to subpoena smartphone logs in these kinds of cases, as they may reveal that the driver was using his or her social media accounts or texting while driving in the moments before the incident.

Side-impact collisions: These are often some of the most difficult types of crashes to determine who was at fault. Did the hit driver or the striking driver enter an intersection when the light was red? Did one driver ignore a stop sign? Did one party fail to pay attention while crossing the road? There are many variables in these crashes, and eyewitness testimony can be very helpful to pinpoint fault and liability in such cases.

Head-on crashes: In nearly every head-on crash, there is one driver whose car was traveling the wrong way down the road. The question is, how did that car get there? Often drunk, drugged, sleepy or distracted drivers lose control of their cars — or simply they are not able to pay enough attention — and they cross the center line. Other times, cars get pushed into oncoming traffic because another motorist hit them.

Determining fault and liability in your injurious motor vehicle collision is vital to accurately assess whether you have a viable claim for damages. Make sure you don’t leave any stones unturned when it comes to your investigations after a serious auto accident.