Can I Recover Damages in a Single-Car Accident?
Many car accidents are caused by the collision of two cars into one another, and, in such cases, there will be a question of whether any victim’s injuries were caused by the negligent or reckless driving of either driver. If so the negligent driver would be responsible for paying for the costs of the injuries, including medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. But a great many accidents also involve only a single car. In such cases, it still may be possible for an injured victim to recover damages.
In general, car accident cases are settled and/or litigated based on the concept that a person who acted negligently (or worse) is responsible for paying for the injured victim’s damages. This person does not necessarily have to be another driver. Essentially, any party whose actions fell below the standard of acting reasonably in a given circumstance, and those actions foreseeably caused another person to sustain injury, can be a defendant in a car accident lawsuit.
When you reach out to an experienced personal injury attorney, he or she will investigate the circumstances of the accident to determine any and all parties that could potentially have caused the accident, and then examine whether their actions in the situation were potentially negligent.
Such parties could include any individuals whose actions led you to suffer the crash. For example, a pedestrian jaywalking across the road in busy traffic who causes you to swerve off the side of the road into a tree could be a defendant. The same could be said of a bicyclist, a motorcyclist, or even another car whose unreasonable movements on the road caused you to wreck.
In addition, if the accident was caused by a defect in your vehicle – such as an unintended acceleration or faulty brakes – the manufacturer could be liable for your injuries, or a maintenance shop that improperly serviced the car. Finally, a municipality or county could also be liable if the accident was caused by a negligently designed or maintained roadway.
Speak to an attorney as soon as possible after an automobile accident to determine your potential options for pursuing recovery.