Auto accidents are certainly the leading cause behind most injuries and fatalities in the United States. With a plethora of vehicles on the road with inexperienced and careless drivers, auto accidents are becoming a normality. According to a survey, more than 2 million Americans sustained injuries due to auto accidents in just one year. The number of people who lose their lives in such accidents is also astoundingly high with over 36,000 deaths every year. In most cases, auto accidents are caused by the negligence of one of the drivers involved. Whereas, in some cases, auto accidents are caused by faulty equipment used by the car manufacturer.
According to experienced auto accident lawyers, quite a significant number of people due to their lack of awareness don’t exercise their legal rights by filing a claim for the injuries and losses they suffered. If you file a claim as soon as possible and establish liability, you could get compensated for your medical expenses and the other damages you may have incurred due to the accident. But in order to establish liability, you would require the services of an experienced auto accident lawyer.
Who can be held liable in an auto accident?
Every accident is different from one another, therefore the liability of the auto accident has to be established according to the events that led to the accident. For instance, a faulty traffic light which leads to an accident places the liability on the local authorities responsible for maintaining traffic lights. Or, an accident caused by the failure of a vehicle’s braking mechanism can be used to establish liability on the car manufacturer. In short, any person or entity whose actions or negligence directly caused the accidents which resulted in injury or death can be held liable. Once the liability is established, the court will calculate the rightful and reasonable compensation for your physical, monetary and emotional loss.
In cases, where a person loses his or her life, their next of kin can file a wrongful death claim and get compensated for the death of their loved one. Although money can never be an adequate compensation for the life of a dear family member, it can help the families overcome the financial loss.
If you wish to find out more about this topic or schedule a free consultation, contact the offices of Robert Edens at (847) 395-2200 to speak with an experienced auto accident lawyer.