Car accidents can be traumatic. If you are lucky, you will only suffer minor soft tissue injuries or a few cuts and bruises. If your vehicle is damaged, its repairs would be covered by your insurance policy.
But, car accidents can be fatal or they can cause catastrophic injuries that have the potential to ruin people’s lives. Settlement can help in a small measure. It can compensate the victim for their pain, suffering, and inconvenience. But to procure the settlement that you deserve, it has to be proved that someone else was at fault. If you were a pedestrian and a car hit you, the driver was at fault. In a two or multiple car crash, ascribing blame can be complicated.
Is it possible that you were responsible for a road accident? Would the occupants of the other car/cars or the pedestrians who were involved in the accident blame you and seek compensation from your insurer? Car crash cases are complex. Multiple factors can come into play.
However, there are some clear signs that can prove that you were at fault.
Signs that you caused a car accident
The following factors will implicate you in a car accident-
1. You rear-ended a car
If you hit another car from behind, you will most certainly be held accountable for the accident. If the car was right in front of you and not to the right or left of your field of vision, then the car owner’s lawyers will argue that your eyes were not on the road. However, if you were hit by a car, which propelled your car forward to rear-end another car, your blame will be mitigated.
2. You made an illegal left turn
Just like rear-ending, the blame will be assigned to you if you made a left turn at an intersection where turning left is clearly prohibited. You will also be considered at fault if you made a left turn at the red light.
3. A clear violation of traffic laws
When you are involved in a car accident and you had violated a traffic rule, the blame will be pinned on you. Violation of traffic laws can include-
- Speeding
- Failure to yield
- Not stopping at the red light
If you receive a traffic citation at the site of the accident, then you will be held accountable.
4. Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is illegal and one of the primary causes of accidents everywhere in the world. Whether it was alcohol, drugs, or a deadly mix of both, your senses would be impaired. Alcohol and narcotics slow down your reaction time, lower your concentration level, and make your brain fuzzy.
Another reason why you might be at fault is you were driving after taking certain medications. Anti-depressants, anti-anxiety or insomnia medicines, and even anti-allergy medicines come with the disclaimer that they can make you sleepy and you should not be behind the wheel when you are taking these medicines. They can slow down your brain functions and relax you- which can lead to car accidents because you need to be alert and in command of your senses when you are driving.
5. Distracted driving
Statistics point out that distracted driving is responsible for 27% of accidents that cause serious injuries and 21% of fatal accidents.
If your mind is elsewhere, then you are likely to cause an accident. It takes 5 seconds for your focus to shift back to driving if you had been distracted for a few seconds. That is enough time to cause a grievous accident.
You will be distracted if you are –
- Using your phone for texting, checking your e-mail, social media updates
- Talking on the phone
- Using an entertainment device
- Using the navigation system
Being distracted impairs the driver’s performance. If there are witnesses at the site of the injury, they will testify that your attention was not on the road.
Finally, it is important to know a little about police reports. If the police arrive at the scene of the accident, they will collect testimonies from witnesses, car drivers, and occupants. The report will also include the cop’s own thoughts regarding the accident. If there are clear indications, the report might say that you are responsible for the accident. A copy of this report will be used by the victim’s lawyers.
If you have been in a car accident for no fault of yours, you will be entitled to compensation for your injuries, suffering, loss of livelihood, and other grounds. Personal injury cases are complicated and you might need expert advice to navigate the legal proceedings.
At Claim Settlement, our network of lawyers.. we connect you with have over 20 years of experience in handling personal injury and accident cases and have helped clients recover the maximum compensation in claim settlements. Our initial consultation is absolutely free and you don’t pay your lawyer until you receive the compensation you deserve. If you have suffered an injury or been in an accident call us at 1-833-892-5246 for a free consultation or e-mail us at claim@claimsettlement.ca