As a trail town, Gainesville offers tons of things to see and do for visitors and anyone who passes through. The largest city in North Central Florida is a great place to watch wildlife. But just like other cities in the US, Gainesville has a problem: car accidents.
Car accidents are pretty traumatizing events. It can have a lasting impact on the victim. The impact can be financial, physical, and emotional.
There is a way to overcome the losses you experience as a result of a car accident. Filing a personal injury claim with the assistance of a Gainesville car crash law firm. By filing a personal injury claim, you can recover all your losses. An added benefit of filing a personal injury claim is that you can also punish the negligent party for their actions.
But who is liable for the accident? Both drivers are obviously going to blame each other when it comes to taking responsibility. Determining liability in car accidents requires the expertise of experienced car accident lawyers.
How to determine liability in a car accident
Insurance adjusters will investigate the case. But obviously, you cannot trust insurance adjusters to be fair. So you need to hire a lawyer to investigate the car accident from your side. One important factor all investigators will consider is the location of the impact.
Determining liability based on the location of the impact
Scenario 1
Imagine an accident that happened at an intersection. Car A T-boned car B. At an intersection, if a T-bone accident is happening, surely one car would have had a stop sign. And it is obvious that the car with the stop sign violated the traffic rule. T-bone makes it easier to zero in on liability.
Scenario 2
One of the most common types of car accidents is a rear-end collision. It happens when a car rams into the rear end of another car. The primary reason for this type of accident is tailgating. Tailgating is the behavior of following another car too closely.
When a car’s rear end is damaged, you can clearly understand that the driver who came behind is the reason for the accident. The law states that every driver should give ample space between them and the car in front of them.
Scenario 3
Let’s take parking lot accidents. Imagine someone t-boned you when you were backing into a parking lot.
You can easily prove that the other driver is liable for the accident due to the location of the accident. Since the damage is not on your front end or your rear end, you can make this assumption.
Scenario 4
For our last instance, let’s take left turn accidents. A car in front of you takes an illegal left turn. You swerve right to avoid colliding with the other car.
Now, how can a third person know who was at fault? They will look to see where the damage is. If the damage is at the right side’s front, it is evident that you swerved away to avoid a collision. So the other driver will be blamed for it.
Why you should hire a lawyer
The insurance adjusters will investigate the case. But their goal is to either reduce or reject your compensation claim. A lawyer will work on your behalf. Experienced lawyers will have connections with private investigators. A lawyer can help your case in many different ways. The following are some areas where a lawyer can help you:
- Investigate the case
- Gather evidence
- Calculate losses
- Protect you from the insurance company
- Negotiate with the insurance company
- Take your case to court if needed
You cannot miss out on these things. Insurance companies will easily cheat you if you don’t have a lawyer.
Final thoughts
The location of the impact is an important factor in determining liability. Insurance adjusters and private investigators will consider this during their investigations. Determining liability is just the first step in a personal injury claim. There is a lot more after that. So hire a lawyer and let them handle your case.
Also Read: Essential Legal Tips for dealing with car accident injuries
