Factors When Determining Fault in St. Louis Rear-End Accident Cases

Car accidents can vary in severity and complexity. It is important to contact an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer if you have been injured in a rear-end accident.

Handling an auto accident case can be complicated, but a few cases like a rear-end auto accident case are often relatively easy to handle. This is because the driver of a trailing vehicle is often at fault. Although the trailing driver is not always responsible for rear-end accidents, the other vehicle’s driver usually has the upper hand.

Insurance companies do not waste time deciding the liability in such cases. Generally, one of the only things considered is the factor by which each driver was at fault. The compensation amount is then divided accordingly.

Factors useful in determining fault in rear end accident cases:

Road Safety Rules

If a car bumps into another car from behind, the major fault almost always goes to the trailing car’s driver. This is because road safety guidelines state that you should maintain a safe distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you so that you can stop without the risk of collision.

In some cases, if the driver of the trailing vehicle can prove the other driver’s fault using comparative negligence, his financial responsibility can be reduced significantly.

Nature and degree of damage to the vehicle: 

The degree to which the leading vehicle is damaged can tell a lot about the nature and extent of the tailing driver’s fault, especially in speeding cases.

It is not usually too difficult to prove a rear-end accident case, as the nature of the damage often says a lot about what occurred. But if the driver of the leading vehicle’s fault is proved, the case can be turned around, and the compensation amount to be received can be cut heavily, if not completely. The leading driver may be at fault if it is proven that they had a non-functioning tail light or were braking unnecessarily because they were under the influence of alcohol.

‘Chain Reaction’ cases:

Chain reaction cases or cases involving more than two vehicles are a little more complicated to handle. When a ‘pile up’ occurs, it is often hard to decide which driver was at fault. Unlike simple cases, the driver of the leading vehicle may be held completely responsible for causing the accident in these cases. These accidents often happen on highways where vehicles are driving fast.

If you are not the leading driver in such a case but have bumped into another car, it may or may not be your fault. If you bump into the car in front of you before the car behind you bumps into you, you may be held liable, but the driver of the car behind you will likely be liable if it is the opposite. Generally, unless video evidence is available, it is hard to decide who bumped into whom first, so the last vehicle’s driver is sometimes responsible for such accidents. In some cases, the leading car driver can also be held responsible for the accident, or each driver can be held equally responsible.

St. Louis Car Accident Attorneys

Car accidents can vary in severity and complexity. It is important to contact an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer if you have been injured in a car accident. They can evaluate your case and work to get you the full amount of compensation you are entitled to.