A knowledgeable attorney in Philadelphia will understand that determining who was at fault is one of the most essential factors in a car accident case. The party who is at fault is the one who caused the incident as a result of his or her negligence.
He or she will be liable to pay compensation for the damages due to his or her mistake. Different types of accidents can happen in Philadelphia, such as multi-vehicle accidents or T-bone accidents and various other types of crashes.
Multi-Vehicle accident
When an accident involves more than one vehicle, it becomes extremely difficult to analyze whose fault it was. It is difficult to blame one party in a multiple-vehicle collision as the vehicles pile up or a chain reaction occurs.
Often, it happens that in a multi-vehicle collision, the fault is shared amongst two or more individuals. If that happens, then it is vital to determine what percentage of damages will be owed by each of them. If you were involved in a multi-vehicle accident and want to seek compensation for your losses, then you must consult a skilled Auto Accident Lawyer.
Comparative Negligence in Multi-vehicle accident
To determine how much each driver was responsible for a multiple vehicle accident, it is important to consider the comparative negligence. This will permit the injured parties to get full compensation for their damages. Following are the three prevalent variations.
- Pure Comparative Fault: If in a multi-vehicle collision, the party who is injured was at partial fault, then his or her losses will be reduced by a particular percentage depending on the fault.
- Proportional Comparative Fault at 51%: If a party is more than 51% at fault for the collision, then they are barred from collecting damages for the accident.
- Proportional Comparative Fault at 50%: A party cannot collect damages for the accident if their fault percentage is 50% or more.
In Philadelphia, the rule that prevails for comparative negligence in a multi-vehicle accident is the 51% rule. In an insurance claim, the insurance company’s representative will decide who is at fault by analyzing all the circumstances in an accident. The insurance adjuster will then negotiate with the injured person and ask the victim to agree to their settlement proposal.
It is always a good idea to obtain the help of a competent attorney who would be there to support you in negotiations. A lawyer will try to make every effort to get their client the highest percentage of compensation for the losses after an accident.
Determining fault in a T-bone accident
A T-bone accident is a crash in which the colliding vehicles form a shape of T. It means that one of the vehicles will be driving straight and then another vehicle hits it at a perpendicular angle. The two-vehicles colliding form a T-shape and therefore the name T-bone accident. It is also popularly known as a side-impact collision.
In Philadelphia, the party who is determined to be at fault will be paying money to the other parties involved in the car crash. To clear one of the misconceptions regarding accidents, it is always believed that the vehicle that hits another vehicle is at fault.
However, this fact does not occur in all accident cases. In most cases, car accidents are thoroughly investigated and then analyzed as to who is at fault. A similar process occurs in the case of a T-bone accident.
Common injuries in T-bone accident
T-bone accidents can cause severe injuries and can also result in deaths. Therefore, it is essential to determine who was at fault for a T-bone accident. If the other party is held responsible for the accident, then you must be compensated for the losses and injuries that you have sustained.
Some of the common injuries caused by a T-bone accident are broken bones, disfigurement of the face, damage of nerve tissues, injuries in joints, concussions, herniated discs, injury in the spinal cord, or even permanent disability.
It is necessary that after an accident you receive immediate medical attention. This will improve your chances of getting well and your injuries healing. Some of the major injuries can be very costly to treat, which is why it is vital to make a claim for compensation.
Important steps to take after an accident
You must be calm and act wisely after an accident. Calling the police is the first thing that you must do. Secondly, you must try to get medical help by calling the ambulance or visiting a nearby doctor. In the meantime, you can capture some of the pictures of the accident scene as this will help you to file your claim later.
Do not accept any settlement offered by the insurance companies. This is because if you accept and sign the documents then you will lose your chances of getting the full compensation afterward. Therefore, it is suggested that after an accident you must always consult a knowledgeable attorney who has experience in handling personal injury cases.
A lawyer will help you file a claim and will make all the efforts in getting you fair compensation for the losses and injuries that you sustained due to an accident. An experienced attorney will represent your case and will also help in speeding up the overall process of receiving the money.