2 Tips For Ensuring You Are Properly Compensated From All Parties At-Fault After An Auto Accident
Whether you were just injured in an auto accident or want to be prepared in case you ever are, you need to make sure you are properly compensated by all parties whose negligence contributed to the accident that harmed you. While, of course, you deserve compensation from the insurance company of the at-fault driver and/or your insurance company if you live in a no-fault auto accident state, you may not realize that there are other parties to blame for your auto accident injuries. Read on to learn two tips for ensuring you are properly compensated after an auto accident from all parties who contributed to the accident.
1. Determine if the Maker of Your Automobile Produced a Product Not Safe To Drive
Like most people today, when purchasing a vehicle, you look for an automobile at a great price with the features you love. While third-parties do give automobiles "safety ratings," legally, all vehicles produced must be manufactured with safety in mind.
However, mistakes are made during design and production of vehicles, which is why you will often hear of vehicle recalls on the local news. These recalls typically occur after someone is already injured due to the mistake made during design and manufacturing of the vehicle. After an auto accident, it is important to determine if a vehicle design flaw or defect led to either the accident itself or additional injuries that may not have occurred if the vehicle was truly safe. This will prevent others from getting hurt due to the defect and make sure you are compensated properly for your injuries.
Faulty vehicle parts that are most likely to contribute to additional injuries during an auto accident include airbags that don't deploy, deploy too forcefully, or deploy for no reason; seat belts that unbuckle or break during the accident; and break or power steering failure. However, there are many other vehicle parts that can cause injuries when they are defective, so this is no all-inclusive list.
How can you determine if a flaw in your vehicle contributed to you becoming injured or suffering more severe injuries than you should have during an accident? If you still have the vehicle you were injured in, then have it inspected by a mechanic. Then consult an auto accident lawyer to determine if you have enough evidence to file a product liability lawsuit against the car manufacturer.
Be sure to have someone take as many photos as possible at the scene of the accident. These photos can help you prove your case against the vehicle manufacturer in court.
2. Consider That the City, County, or State May Have Also Contributed to Your Injuries
You have likely driven over a few large road potholes in your lifetime and wondered why they were not filled promptly to prevent damage to vehicles and even car accidents. The fact that they do go unfilled for so long and likely result in vehicle damage and car accidents may lead you to believe that the city knows that they cannot be held liable for any accidents caused by their improper maintenance of the roads.
The truth is that in many states, you can sue the city, county, or state (depending on who is responsible for the upkeep of the specific road your accident occurred on) for the damage to your vehicle and your injuries that resulted from their negligence. Other factors that can contribute to an auto accident that would be the fault of the state or local government include missing or improperly placed road signs, damaged guard railings that led to a small accident becoming a large one, and even an icy road in the winter that the city did not at least try to keep under control.
While not every accident that occurs on an icy road or due to a road not properly maintained is the fault of the city, county, or state, these laws are very complex; when providing the details of your accident to your auto accident attorney, always mention if there was a road problem that you felt caused the accident or made it much worse than it should have been so they can ask more questions and use their legal judgement to decide if a case against the city or state is worth pursuing.
If you were injured in an auto accident or just want to be prepared in case you ever are, them remember that those at-fault for accidents are not only drivers. If an auto maker or the government you trust to provide you safe roads is also at fault, then lawsuits can also be filed against them to protect others from suffering the same fate that you did. Contact a lawyer from a firm like Knafo Law Offices for more information.
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