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Common Causes Of Car Accidents

Walner Law®
Walner Law®

June 12, 2012

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Whether you’re a good or bad driver, automobile accidents happen. And when they do, it’s easy as a motorist to be left feeling floundering and flustered. Fortunately, Walner Law is here to help you from the beginning. Because in order to take corrective action in moving forward, it’s important to know the cause of your automobile accident from the start. The following is a list of common causes of automobile accidents.

Driver Error

Driver error is the most common cause of all automobile accidents. Driver error can be attributed to a failure to stop, failure to yield the right of way, excessive speeds, disregard of traffic rules and regulations, unsafe passing, and more. Errors such as these can often result in rear-end collisions, frontal collisions, side impacts and t-bones, pedestrians being hit by vehicles, as well as many other collision types.

Intoxication

Alcohol can have an effect on a person’s vision, judgment, reaction, concentration, comprehension, and more. This is why, when a motorist is intoxicated, his or her ability to properly operate an automobile becomes impaired. And when an alcohol or drug-impaired motorist operates a vehicle, it increases the risk of an accident.

Driver Distractions

When a driver’s attention is turned away from the road ahead, this increases the risk of an automobile accident. Unfortunately, distractions can come in all shapes and sizes and occur both inside and outside of the vehicle. Examples of distractions may be a person or an animal on the side of the road, a driver attempting to read, eat, or apply makeup while operating a vehicle, texting and using a cell phone, attempting to calm arguing children in the car, and much more!

Weather

Poor weather conditions can often contribute to an automobile accident by impairing visibility, reducing road traction, and more. It is important for a motorist to take into consideration the weather when operating a vehicle. Unfortunately, severe weather conditions may cause flash floods, black ice, strong winds, and many other conditions that may go undetected until it is too late.

Vehicle Defects

When a tire pops, brakes fail, or a motorist experiences one of many other mechanical failures, this is known as a vehicle defect. Vehicle defects can both cause automobile accidents, as well as become a catalyst in making automobile accidents more severe. Examples of vehicle defects that may lead to increased severity include, but are not limited to, failed seat belts, failed airbags, and a poor center of gravity.

Road Design and Construction

Poorly designed intersections and roadways, as well as poorly placed barriers and traffic signs, can commonly result in unnecessary automobile accidents. In such cases, it’s possible for liability to fall on government agencies responsible for the roadway design and maintenance, though in specific cases government immunity may apply.

Not every automobile accident results in litigation. Automobile accidents without injuries or with minor injuries can often be resolved outside of court directly through a motorist’s insurance. When an automobile accident does result in litigation, however, it will generally involve another person, though sometimes it will instead involve government agencies or filing a product liability claim against a manufacturer. If you have recently been in an accident and believe you may have a case that should come before the court, contact Walner Law today for your free consultation.

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