The Post Hoc Fallacy And Car Accident Cases

Learning about the various types of flawed arguments is arguably the most fun part of high school A.P. English.  One of these flawed arguments, technically known as logical fallacies, is the post hoc argument.  The Latin phrase post hoc ergo propter hoc means, “After this, therefore because of it.”  These arguments are flawed because not all events that occur in sequence have a causal connection.  For example, perhaps it rained one day after you ate chili, but this does not mean that your meal of chili was the cause of the rain.  The purveyors of clickbait and conspiracy theories use the post hoc fallacy all the time, and people eat it up.  Worse than that, though, is when car insurance companies cry “post hoc” about your claim for injuries resulting from a car accident.  They sound like criminal defense lawyers the way they look for doubt as to whether event A, in this case the car accident, caused event B, in this case your injuries.  If you need someone who can disentangle the weird logic of insurance claims adjusters, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.

Did the Medical Emergency Happen Because of the Accident or Simply Right After It?

In November 2024, Dennis Green was driving his Nissan in Seneca, South Carolina, when a Jaguar ran a red light and collided with his car.  When paramedics arrived at the scene, Green suffered cardiac arrest; he died soon after arriving at the hospital.  He was 71 years old.

Thus far, no legal actions have arisen from the case.  Regardless of whether the driver of the Jaguar gets criminal charges, Green’s family has the right to file a wrongful death claim.  The investigations related to the accident will determine who the responsible parties are.  Was the accident due to recklessness on the part of the driver of the Jaguar?  Was it because of a vehicle malfunction or a faulty traffic signal?  Whatever the investigation determines, Green’s surviving relatives can only prevail in their claim if they prove that the accident was the direct cause of Green’s death.  It is not hard to imagine a dystopia where insurance claims adjusters try to argue that Green’s cardiac arrest was not a result of the accident, but that it was a coincidence that it happened shortly afterward.  It might seem unconscionable that someone would say something like that, or even think it, but insurance companies engage in all sorts of twisted logic to avoid taking responsibility for some or all of your accident-related medical expenses.  If you have whiplash injury after a car accident, the insurance company will say that your neck just hurts because you are old.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a complaint related to a car accident, even if you were neither young nor healthy before the accident.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

thestate.com/news/traffic/article295423254.html