Who Is Considered At Fault When a Car Accident Occurs?

Nobody wants to deal with legal matters when already dealing with the physical, financial, and emotional damages as a result of a negligence-related injury. However, when seeking compensation, it’s a necessity to determine who is at fault.

In car accidents, there are multiple factors that need to be considered such as the underlying cause of the crash, whether multiple parties can be held accountable, and more. Here are some things that individuals should know about how to determine who is responsible.

Distracted Driving Accidents

These types of situations are typically cut and dry when it’s a sole individual in the car who is texting while driving or otherwise distracted. That driver would be responsible. There may be other factors involved such as if other passengers recklessly cause the distraction.

When a driver is distracted while traveling at 55 MPH, taking their eyes off the road for 5 seconds is enough for the vehicle to travel the length of a football field. This is a lot of opportunity for someone to cause a serious accident.

Drunk Driving Accidents

Drunk driving accidents are far too common, and it’s typically the negligence of the drunk driver that causes serious injury. However, while you can pursue a personal injury case against the drunk driver, there may be additional legal action available to you.

In Illinois, dram shop law exists. This means the individual responsible for supplying the alcohol to the drunk driver can also be held accountable in some shape or form.

Defective Products

There are some situations that can occur in which neither driver in the crash are considered responsible. This is the case when the crash occurs as a result of a part on the vehicle not working correctly due to a defect.

For instance, the brakes may fail to work correctly, and it may not stop the vehicle in time to prevent a crash. This may make the manufacturer of the defective part accountable for the injuries.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Morici, Longo & Associates understand liability and how individuals may be responsible for the damages caused by negligence. If you’ve been hurt, you have rights and our team is here to protect them.

Call us today at (312) 779-0366 for a free consultation.