What Happens If I’m Partially at Fault After a Car Accident?
If you have found yourself in an accident that you have been found partially at fault after a car accident, what do you do now? Many serious accidents result in injury, and these victims are left to wonder what their next move is when they have to take partial blame for the accident.
How Much At Fault Are You?
When determining the liability for a serious accident, the courts and insurance companies use a percentage-based scale to rate it. What are the factors of your involvement in the accident (what did you do to be partially responsible)? Did you speed, ignore a stop sign or red light, or were you distracted by your phone or other factors?
According to Sworgatto.com, if you carry the weight of responsibility but not full responsibility (less than half) for the accident, there is a reduction in the compensation you receive based on the responsibility percentage of your involvement in the accident. If you caused 20% of the accident, then there will be a 20% reduction from the compensation. This example scales as the percentage scales.
That being said, if your responsibility is half or more, you are not going to see compensation from the insurance company of the other party or the party themselves. As an example, if you are being reckless in a building, and fall down a flight of stairs, if you are at fault, you won’t be compensated for the accident.
How To Determine Percentage of Fault After a Car Accident?
The way process of determining the percentage of fault after a car accident you are involved in starts by looking at the accident, most of the time. The factors that contributed to this accident are considered. For example, if you ran a stop sign, you will likely bear the majority of the responsibility. However, if a driver you collide with is distracted, they may bear a good percentage of responsibility
The same can be said in reverse; if you are slowing down to make a turn, and your lights aren’t properly working, if you get rear-ended, you may be partial if not fully to blame. But you are left asking how that liability is determined.
After the accident, the insurers and lawyers sit down and talk about each impacting factor. There may be a chance for witnesses to make their claims, and the attorney may even help with assessing the liability of an accident with an expert witness. Things they may look at:
- Relevant Photos of the Scene of the Accident (After it happens)
- Photos of injuries, damages, and other related outcomes.
- Police Reports
- Witness Statements
- Any videos, surveillance footage, or traffic cam footage that may have recorded the accident.
There are some cases that you disagree with the liability accuracy determined. In this event, you are able to request an attorney to better establish who is to blame for the injuries/accident.
It is important to report any and all accidents to the insurance provider of those involved. Any information regarding fault and involvement is useful in determining the liability percentage of each party. You need to know what to do in these situations so you can be covered to the greatest extent possible. Of course, the best way to avoid this is to be cautious and obey all rules and laws that are placed to prevent accidents.
How to Find a Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me?
An easy way to find a personal injury lawyer near you is searching Google for “personal injury lawyers near me in city”. This will provide a list of results of personal injury lawyers in your area, including their information and website.