Why is the first glance rarely the final picture?
Auto accident law is complex, which is why it’s best to leave legal matters to professionals. Trusting advice offered by well-meaning friends or family members can set you up for years of regrets. With that in mind, let’s consider one of the common misconceptions about auto accident law. Say that a hypothetical person, Jane Smith, is driving down the road one day when her car strikes a pedestrian. Who’s to blame for this accident?
“That’s easy,” some may say. “Jane Smith is 100% at fault, pure and simple.” But is this assumption correct? Not necessarily. Let’s see why:
- Jane’s car may have had defective brakes caused by faulty design: If so, then the company that built the vehicle may be partly liable.
- The road on which Jane was driving may have needed repairs: For example, let’s say that the road surface was crumbling, a problem which remained in place despite numerous complaints to the highway department. In that case, the state may bear some of the blame.
- Jane may have been forced to swerve to miss an obstruction, causing her to strike the victim: Why was the obstructive object in the middle of the street? Who put it there? With no clear answers, liability, in this case, may remain an open question.
See what we mean? Legal matters are never as open-and-shut as most people think. That’s why it’s important to seek the advice of our Deltaville car accident lawyers before accepting a settlement or signing any papers. There may be aspects to the case that require the input of our team of Deltaville car accident lawyers.
