Causes of Auto Accidents

Auto accidents can be attributed to various causes, and often there are several factors that contribute to a single accident. For that reason, it can take time to establish fault for an accident. The auto accident lawyers at our firm have years of experience investigating auto accidents, and representing victims. Such expertise is vital if all parties responsible for an auto accident are going to be held accountable for the injuries and damages they caused.

The actions of a driver play a huge role in most auto accidents. About 40 percent of car accident fatalities occur because of a drunken driver. Another 30 percent of car accident fatalities can be attributed to driving above the speed limits and well over 33 percent occur because of reckless driving. Driver errors, such as failure to yield the right of way, following too closely, driving at excessive speeds, unsafe passing, and disregard of a traffic control device, also cause many auto accidents. Finally, distracted drivers – those who are talking on their cell phones, changing the radio, etc. – are responsible for many auto accidents.

Vehicle defects can also cause auto accidents. Sometimes the injuries suffered in an accident will be made worse by a design or manufacturing defect, such as one which makes an SUV more susceptible to rolling over in an auto accident or a gas tank more likely to ignite in a collision, or a manufacturing defect which causes a seat belt to fail or an airbag to deploy improperly.

Often poor road design causes auto accidents. A poorly designed roadway, intersection, or means of controlling traffic can at times cause or contribute to an accident. Poorly placed road signs or barriers can cause unnecessary injury when vehicles collide with them. At times, such defects will result in liability by the governmental agency responsible for the design and maintenance of the roadway.

Very often, two or more of the factors listed here combine to cause an auto accident. This is when it can be tricky to establish fault. Our auto accident lawyers conduct thorough investigations in all cases, and our clients can be assured that we will make sure they receive compensation from all parties responsible for a car accident.