What Are The Rights Of Survivors Of Victims Of Single Vehicle Crashes?

The basic elements of a car accident lawsuit are showing that the at fault driver engaged in a dangerous action that caused the accident and that the accident caused your injuries, which are the direct cause of the financial losses for which you are seeking compensation.  This is, in fact, how most car accident lawsuits work, but the same legal principles apply even when the accident was not simply a matter of one driving making a mistake, such as speeding or making an unsafe lane change, and hitting another car.  For example, if you are a passenger, and the driver of the car where you are riding makes a mistake that causes the car to drive off the road and cause a single vehicle collision, in which you get injured, then you can sue that driver for negligence.  What happens when there was only one vehicle with one occupant?  The surviving relatives of the victims of fatal single vehicle collisions also have the right to file wrongful death lawsuits if it is clear that a particular party could have and should have done a particular thing to prevent the accident.  To find out more about your rights after a single vehicle accident, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.

What Causes Single Vehicle Crashes?

Multi-vehicle collisions can be the result of almost any mishap.  Single vehicle collisions can be attributable to almost any cause except one vehicle striking another.  In a single vehicle collision, a vehicle veers out of its lane of traffic and strikes a stationary object, such as a fence, tree, wall, or electrical pole.  Many different things may cause the driver to lose control of the car.  Sometimes speeding or distracted driving is the cause.  Alcohol and drugs also play a role in a disproportionate number of single vehicle collisions.  Sometimes wet or icy road conditions can cause cars to drive off the road.  In rare cases, a defective car part can cause a single vehicle accident.

Legal Remedies Available to Surviving Family Members of Victims of Preventable Collisions

If a person dies in a single vehicle accident, his or her surviving family members have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit against a person or entity whose negligence caused the accident.  For example, if the accident took place on a poorly maintained property with dangerously uneven roads, the property owner could be liable for premises liability.  If a defective car part caused the accident, it could be a case of product liability.  Dram shop liability laws could apply if the driver consumed alcohol at a bar or restaurant shortly before the fatal collision.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you if you suffered serious injuries in an accident involving only one vehicle, or if you lost a close relative in a single vehicle accident.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

wspa.com/news/local-news/driver-dies-in-single-car-crash-in-pickens-co/