Who Is Responsible For a Single-Car Crash?

Car accidents are problematic, stressful, and an annoyance. Serious wrecks can result in injuries to drivers and passengers as well as property damage. The judicial process for recuperating money from an at-fault party can be lengthy. Often times parties settle for less than the total costs of expenses. This occurs in accidents involving multiple vehicles. However, what happens, if anything, in the case of a single-car crash?

Most people associate accidents as involving two or more vehicles. This is not always the case. Statistics published in a 2015 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates¹ that approximately fifty-five percent motor vehicle deaths, nationwide, involve single-vehicle accidents.

Without a doubt, countless Floridians are impacted in single-vehicle accidents each year. Drivers and passengers may incur expenses such as medical costs or property repairs as a result. But, because single-vehicle accidents only involve one vehicle, many mistakenly believe that they are not entitled to recover.

Negligence of Others Can Cause Single-Vehicle Car Crashes

An accident is not always an accident. Sometimes, accidents can be caused as a result of driver-related issues. Other times, the negligence² of another may cause a single-vehicle accident. A victim may be entitled to recover damages from the negligent party whenever his or her accident was the caused by another’s negligence.

Potential Causes of Single-Vehicle Crashes Include:

• Manufacturer or Design Defect – Safety and manufacturer reliability often influence an individual’s decision when purchasing a vehicle. Reliability indicates that the vehicle’s manufacturer is one that makes consistently high-quality vehicles that are without defects. However, some vehicles may be negligently manufactured. Manufacturing defects can create complications which result in a single-vehicle accident. For example, a manufacturing defective may be defective brakes, which keep the vehicle from stopping. The accident-causing defect can be part of the design of the vehicle itself or be caused by a defective part of the vehicle.
• The Negligence of Another Driver – Although single-vehicle accidents result in only one car being in a crash, it does not rule out another vehicle causing the accident. Another vehicle may ultimately cause the accident. For example, a negligent driver may unknowingly veer into another lane and force another vehicle off the road and into a fixed object. Here, the negligent driver is not in the crash but has unwittingly caused the accident.
• Poorly Designed/Maintained Roads – Some roads can be more hazardous than others. Dangerous road conditions may be the result of poor design, poor maintenance, or both. Negligently maintained roads can cause difficult conditions, such as potholes, which cause a driver to lose control and have an accident. Other conditions, such as a lack of warning for well-known road-based hazards, can lead a driver Dangerous conditions such as dangerous inclines or the lack of warning signs for known hazards may lead to single-vehicle accidents.

Contact Your St. Petersburg, FL Automobile Accident Attorney Today

You may be entitled to damages if you were involved in a single-car crash. The attorneys at the Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA can evaluate the facts of your case and help you recover those damages to which you may be entitled. Call (727) 472-3909 or contact us online to schedule your free case evaluation.

References:
¹ Fatality Facts 2019
² https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/negligence