Whether or not a car accident has determined fault affects which insurance company pays for repair to vehicle damage resulting from the accident. It also affects how much you will have to pay for car insurance premiums in the subsequent months and years. It does not have any bearing, however, on the severity of the injuries sustained by people in the cars involved. Even if you were the one who caused the accident, you might be more seriously injured than anyone in the car you hit. Car accident injury lawyers dedicate their work to helping people who have been injured in car accidents recover compensation to help them heal from their injuries and survive financially during the times that they are unable to work.
Most Accidents Don’t Just Happen
Even though accidents, by definition, are not intentional, there is something someone could have done to prevent most car accidents. Snow and freezing rain make roads very slippery, sometimes so much that even people who are driving carefully in well-maintained vehicles cannot avoid a collision. If one car rear-ends another on an icy road, one could just chalk it up to bad luck. A personal injury, lawyer, will look more carefully at the situation. These are some examples of factors a car accident injury lawyer might consider.
- Was the driver that rear-ended the car in front of it driving too fast? Even if he was driving below the posted speed limit, it could still be considered negligence if he was not going slowly enough to account for the slippery road conditions.
- Did the car that hit the one in front of it has properly maintained brakes? It can be considered negligence if someone drives a car with faulty brakes on an icy road.
- Did the city or county responsible for that area of the road salt the roads in a timely manner? If not, drivers and passengers injured in the accident might have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit.
Did the driver of the car in front have their lights on? If not, it could be considered negligence, because it would be difficult for the driver behind to know how close they were and to slow down appropriately.
An Accident Is the Result of Many Factors
Were the drivers distracted? Were the roads clearly marked? Were the cars in good working order? Insurance companies consider all these factors and more when determining fault for an accident. Personal injury lawyers hired to bring car accident lawsuits to consider them in even more detail. If you do not agree with the insurance company’s interpretation of how the accident transpired and how much compensation they have offered you, you should consult a car accident injury lawyer.
Contact Walton Telken Injury Attorneys About St. Louis Car Accident Cases
Insurance companies are not omniscient when it comes to determining the causes of an accident or the severity of your injuries. Contact Walton Telken Injury Attorneys in the St. Louis area to discuss your case.
