Let’s discuss some crash scenarios in which the location of damage can be used to determine liability.
If another vehicle hits your car, and the other driver and their insurer deny responsibility for the crash, you may be able to use the location of the damage on each of the vehicles to prove fault. Let’s discuss some crash scenarios in which the location of damage can be used to determine liability.
Scenario 1: Imagine driving along as someone pulls out of a parking lot or a driveway on your right and T-bones you. In this case, you should check the location of the damage. If the driver has hit your car on the passenger side, it may provide clear evidence that the other driver was not paying enough attention to the road and pulled out of the parking lot or driveway without looking.
There are other possibilities as well. Suppose the other driver pulled out right before you reached them and caused you to hit their car so that the damage is on your car’s front and the other car’s side; there is evidence against you. It is also possible that the other driver pulled out in front of your car so fast that you could not stop on time, and the collision occurred. In this case, the other driver may also contend that they were waiting for the traffic to clear, and you were not paying attention and crashed into their car.
Scenario 2: Imagine you are driving down the road, and another driver makes a left turn in front of you. In this situation, most drivers will try to swerve to the right to avoid the vehicle cutting in front of them. If there is damage to your vehicle’s left front side or left front corner, it can mean that you tried to avoid the crash by swerving. If the other car has damage to the right front corner, it could mean that they were not paying attention and cut in front of you. However, if the damage to the other car is to the rear right corner, it could mean that you were the one who was not paying attention.
Scenario 3: When someone runs a red light, the driver will most likely hit the other vehicle broadside because the other driver was crossing the intersection with a green light when the negligent driver ran the red light. In this case, the damage will generally occur to the front side of the negligent driver’s car and the rear of the other driver’s vehicle.
If you have been in an accident, it is important that, if possible, you take photographs of the accident scene and the vehicle damage. This evidence will prove useful when determining fault and making a compensation claim. A St. Louis car accident lawyer can help protect your rights by helping you prove your accident resulted from another driver’s negligence and work to get you the compensation you are entitled to under Missouri law.
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