Have You been Involved in a Crash that Multiple Drivers were to Blame for? Here’s What You Need to Know
Nobody wants to suffer the pain caused by an auto accident. Whether you are a driver or a passenger, the risks of injury are huge. Automobile accidents happen so often that there is a whole branch of law devoted to how to solve these cases. Today, we want to examine what happens when there are more than one people to blame for the accident. How do you claim compensation and who do you claim it from? Can you even claim compensation for an auto accident if you were partially to blame for it? We answer all your questions and more, below.
Car Accidents in the USA
There are over 37,000 deaths due to car accidents in the USA every year. This is the result of some 6 million average crashes. With 300 million vehicles on the road here, it’s no wonder that we sometimes bump into one another. When the bump is bad enough to cause injury to one of the parties, however, is when it becomes an issue.
When a car accident occurs, the victims will find the best auto crash lawyers that they can to represent their interests. The lawyer will work on their behalf to get justice or compensation for their client. The trouble is that everyone involved is doing the same thing. When they have gathered their evidence, they will place it before a judge and ask for a ruling to apportion the blame. Since everyone has put together their own case, it isn’t unusual for the judge to apportion blame to more than one person.
For example, if you hit a biker while emerging from a junction, this is your fault. However, if the biker was not on the road but on the pavement and crossing, or if they ran into you, the judge may decide that you are only 70% responsible. Usually, a car wins against a bike, but that doesn’t mean to say that you are wholly at fault. We call this comparative negligence. So, this begs the question of what happens when there are multiple parties at fault? Let’s find out.
What Happens When Multiple Parties are at Fault?
Depending on what portion of the blame the judge assigns to you, you will either pay out or receive payments. In this case, it can be hard to gain full compensation, even if you are only 10% to blame. You can dispute your at-fault rating, but this may cost you more in legal fees.
When you are partially responsible for a car accident, the claims process remains the same. The changes occur in how much you can claim. If you are 50% at fault, you can only claim for 50% of the damages. Check with your auto accident attorney to find out if it is worth your while to claim if you are more than 50% at fault. You can still claim compensation and you can still choose to go to court. The only thing that changes is your allowance for compensation.
The only time you cannot claim for compensation for an auto accident is if you are 100% at fault.
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