Driving a car requires a lot of concentration and skill. The failure of which often leads to car accidents that result in losses for both parties. The impact of the collision determines the losses incurred by the victim.
While in most cases only one party is liable for an accident, it is possible that both parties involved in an accident share liability. Having car accident lawyers fight such cases is really helpful in such situations. They can find evidence to clear up the victim’s role in the accident.
Types of Car Accidents
There are various types of car accidents that a lawyer is equipped to handle. Some of them are listed below.
- Accidents caused by drunk drivers
- Accidents caused by distracted drivers
- Accidents caused by trucks
- Accidents caused by rideshare drivers
- Accidents caused by jaywalking pedestrians
Common Car Accidents Injuries
Car accidents have the potential to cause serious and catastrophic injuries. Given below are some of the injuries that a car accident victim is more likely to suffer.
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Broken bones
- Herniated discs
- Scarring
- Whiplash
- Concussions
- Burn injuries
- Disfigurement
- Amputations
- Internal organ injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Torn ligaments
- Internal bleeding
- Death
Financial losses that are compensated stem from necessary accessibility modifications to the home, any sort of property damage, limiting future earning capacity, and such. One is also eligible for compensation if they have suffered from non-economic damages like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and the like.
What Happens in the Case of Shared Liability in a Car Accident?
Shared liability is when both parties are at fault in a car accident. Each state has its own rules pertaining to such cases. The level of involvement of each party has a role in the compensation the victim receives. Hence, it is important to pay special attention to this.
According to comparative negligence rules, an accident victim can recover damages regardless of their involvement in the accident. This is further split into modified comparative negligence and pure comparative negligence.
In modified comparative negligence, the victim can recover damages only if their level of involvement is less than 50 or 51%. Anything more than that, and the victim loses their right to recover compensation.
In pure comparative negligence, the victim’s level of involvement is a factor by which the total compensation is reduced. This means that if the victim is responsible for 90% of the accident, the compensation will be reduced by 90%, leaving the victim with 10%.
There’s also something called contributory negligence that’s followed in a handful of states. According to this law, the victim loses the right to recover damages if they played a role in the accident. It doesn’t matter if this level of involvement is 1% or 90%.
Seek Legal Help Today!
It is necessary to consult car accident lawyers, especially in cases where both parties share liability. They are experienced in handling such cases and can get fair compensation. They are efficient in filing a claim and fighting for the victim’s rights.
