Who Can Be Held Responsible for an Auto Accident?
Most car crash claims begin with the other driver, but the driver is not always the only party who may be responsible. The vehicle owner, an employer, a government agency or a parts manufacturer may also play a role. Finding every responsible party is one of the first jobs of an auto accident lawyer, because each party may have separate insurance.
The other driver
Negligence asks whether a driver failed to act with reasonable care. Common examples include speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, following too closely and failing to yield. In many states, violating a traffic law can be evidence of negligence, and some states apply negligence per se. A traffic citation helps a claim, but fault can be proven without one, and paying a ticket is treated differently from state to state. A car crash lawyer will measure the driver's conduct against the traffic laws where the crash happened.
Owners and rental companies
If the driver borrowed the car, the owner's insurance policy often covers permissive drivers. An owner who lends a car to someone known to be unlicensed, impaired or reckless may face a negligent entrustment claim. Rental and leasing companies are treated differently. Under a federal law called the Graves Amendment, they are generally shielded from liability for a renter's negligence, unless the company was negligent itself, such as by renting a car with known brake defects.
When the driver was working
If the driver was acting within the scope of https://trevorbcxu211.nexorafield.com/posts/the-timeline-of-an-auto-accident-claim employment, the employer is usually answerable for the driver's negligence under respondeat superior. This can apply to delivery drivers, sales staff and others who drive for work. Rideshare crashes raise their own coverage questions, because the coverage that applies can depend on whether the app was on and whether a ride had been accepted. A motor vehicle accident attorney will typically request the employer's policy in addition to the driver's.
Road defects and product defects
A missing stop sign, a broken traffic signal or a dangerous road defect may point to a government agency. Claims against public bodies come with special immunity rules and short notice deadlines, and those rules vary by state. If a defective tire, brake or airbag contributed to the crash or the injuries, the manufacturer may face a product liability claim. NHTSA's recall lookup shows open recalls by vehicle identification number. Some states have dram shop laws that allow claims against a bar that served a visibly intoxicated driver.
Claims by passengers
Passengers who are hurt may have claims against one driver or both, including the driver of the car they were riding in. Coverage may come from the policy on the passenger's vehicle as well as from the other driver's policy, and in some cases from the passenger's own policy. Some policies limit claims between members of the same household, which makes the wording of the policy important.
How shared fault affects the claim
Most states apply comparative negligence, which can reduce a recovery by the injured person's share of fault, while a few jurisdictions still follow contributory negligence. States also differ in how fault is divided among several defendants. An automobile accident lawyer looks at every possible party because one policy may not cover the full loss. This is general information and not legal advice, and it cannot predict how a claim will turn out.