4 Common Causes of Car Accident

What is a Car Accident?

A car accident, which is also referred to as a traffic collision, occurs when a motorized road vehicle collides with another vehicle, a pedestrian, a structure, road debris, or other geographical obstacles.

Car accidents are extremely serious and unfortunately prevalent incidences that can result in injury, property damage, and death. As a result of the damage that can arise from a traffic accident, there are numerous legal issues that are tied into a traffic collision.

A number of factors contribute and accelerate the risk of a car accident including; the speed of the vehicle, the vehicle’s design, the road’s design, and the character or mood of the driver.

Car accidents are typically classified by mechanism. Common mechanisms of a car accident include: Head-on collisions, rear-end collisions, side collisions, rollovers, and run-off-road collisions.

Causes of Car Accidents

There are a wide variety of causes that can precipitate a car accident. The cause of a particular car accident is crucial to understand, for fault and subsequent legal charges will be administered given the nature of the accident. The most common of which are listed below:

Driver Error- This is the most common cause of car accidents; common driver errors which contribute to a traffic collision include: Failure to yield, tailgating, driving at excessive speeds, unsafe passing, and a disregard of traffic control devices as well as traffic laws.

Intoxication- Operators of motor vehicle whose ability to drive is impaired as a result of the consumption of drugs or alcohol.

Vehicle Defects- Car accidents can result from a defect with a driver’s motor vehicle. Tire blowouts, brake failures, or other mechanical failures are common defects that can precipitate a car accident.

Distractions- When the driver’s attention is diverted from the road the probability of getting into an accident drastically increases. Distractions can occur from outside the car, such as observing landmarks, or they may occur inside the vehicle, such as when the driver attempts to make a phone call or toggle with the radio.

It is important to understand the causes of a particular car accident, for any legal issues or attempts to seek justice (financially or through punishment) will evaluate the state of the driver’s before the accident as well as their efforts to follow traffic laws.

Litigation after Car Accidents

Not every car accident will result in litigation; typically resolution will occur in those incidences where nobody is injured or minor injuries are present through claims for medical care and property damage made through the driver’s car insurance companies. The greater the damage or injuries that result from a car accident, the more likely a lawsuit will follow.

If a death results from a car accident, the law enforcement agencies on the scene will investigate the causes that lead to the accident. Serious charges such as vehicular manslaughter can arise, if it is found that one of the driver’s was intoxicated, distracted, or that the death was precipitated by a negligent action or a maneuver that violated the jurisdiction’s traffic laws

Those cases which require litigation will be administered through the local court system where the accident took place. It is suggested that the involve parties hire a legal attorney who specializes in automobile accidents to initiate and expedite the claim.