Car accidents may be more complicated than people realize. When you get injured in an accident that is not your own fault, one of the main goals is to collect a settlement from the driver who is at fault. In many cases, while another driver may have caused an accident, there could be other factors involved.
Collecting a settlement from other parties for your injury in a crash will ensure the parties are held liable for the negligent actions and help you get the settlement needed to cover medical costs and trauma from the crash.
Learn about other possible liable parties, how they impact a case, and how a law firm can represent you in these various circumstances.
Bar Owners
Unfortunately, a lot of motor vehicle accident injuries occur due to the intoxication of another driver. When a driver operates a vehicle while inebriated, they do not have the same control and decision-making as they would if they were completely sober.
In some cases, a person who operates a vehicle while drunk may have been over-served by a bar or business they were at before the crash. In some cases, a lawyer may hold a bar liable for the injuries sustained in a car accident.
In Arizona, these laws are known as dram shop laws and they hold the bar accountable for serving alcohol to a person who was clearly intoxicated. So, along with any potential settlement from a driver’s insurance company, you may collect an additional settlement from the bar as well.
Many questions and factors come into play with dram shop laws and a potential claim. For example, there needs to be some sort of proof the person was at the bar before the accident. If the person stopped at multiple locations, the proof of the bar’s liability may be harder to prove.
An attorney will help navigate any potential dram shop liability, including the gathering of evidence and details on the driver’s actions before the case. The police report and investigation into the crash may also supply additional details.
Road Conditions
In some cases, a driver may have caused an accident, but the conditions of the road could have come into play as well. For example, a driver could have avoided a large pot hole, crossed a lane, and rammed head on into your vehicle.
A road sign may have been missing or obscured from view. The road itself could be in poor condition with faded lines or chunks of pavement scattered on the road. In cases with bad road conditions, the owners of the road may be held liable for the accident.
The owners of the road are typically either the state or town. For example, the liability of highway conditions likely fall on the state while a back road may be owned and maintained by the town. A lawyer has the ability to look into other complaints about the road, any other incidents, and a possible lack of effort on maintaining safe driving conditions.
Sometimes, the road may be part of private property. For example, if the accident occurs on an entry road to a shopping plaza, the shopping plaza owners may be held liable for the accident due to poor driving conditions. A lawyer will research the road ownership and any possible ways to collect a settlement because of the accident.
Roadside Distractions
Distracted drivers are another common cause of car accidents. Unfortunately, the road itself may present many distractions. The driver who caused the accident may give their statement and indicate something on the road way caused the distraction.
For example, a digital billboard could feature moving graphics, videos, and text which keeps a driver’s eyes off the road for an extended amount of time. A lawyer may hold the billboard company at fault for creating the visual distraction.
Billboards are commonplace among roads, but some of the more distracting designs could lead to major problems on the roadways, and there may have been similar incidents in the past with the same billboard as the root cause of the problem.
Pedestrians
In many areas, pedestrians often have the right of way. Roads feature crosswalks, bike lanes, and specific paths for people to use. In some cases, pedestrians may cause traffic problems when they do not properly follow the rules of the road.
For example, if a pedestrian bolts across a street without a sidewalk, a driver may slam their brakes and cause some type of chain reaction accident. In other words, the accident may not have occurred if the pedestrian did not cross the street in an area that was not allowed. If the pedestrian is tracked down or is a part of the police report for the accident, a lawyer may hold the person liable for the accident.
There are many factors which go into cases, so you should consider legal help soon after an accident occurs. Our professionals at Garrison Law Firm will help guide you through every step and determine if anyone else could be held liable in your car accident situation.