If you’ve been in a car wreck, the first thing that you should ask yourself is whether or not it was the result of negligence on the part of the other driver. Negligence is not the same thing as driving poorly. A negligent driver, additionally, is not a driver who failed to take heroic or remarkably skilled actions to avoid a wreck. If you understand the basic concept of negligence, it will go a long way toward helping you determine whether or not it applies in your case and whether or not it would be worth your while to file a lawsuit.
Negligence
Whenever you get behind the wheel, there are obligations and expectations placed upon you. These are designed to be reasonable. For example, you’re not expected to be able to drive like a professional semi driver, but you are expected to be able to drive as well as any other licensed driver on the road does.
Some examples of actions that could be considered negligence include:
- Failing to yield the right away when required
- Rear ending someone because of not paying attention
- Driving under the influence and causing a wreck or a death
- Having an improperly maintained car and causing an accident because of it
- Driving recklessly
- Failing to follow the speed limit
- Failing to slow down to accommodate school zones and other hazardous areas
There are plenty of ways that drivers can be negligent. You can only sue over negligence if somebody actually causes you to come to harm or to suffer financial damages because of their own negligence. If somebody happens to be driving negligently and you see them but are not harmed by it, you really have no grounds for filing a lawsuit. There has to be an injury and you have to be able to put a price on how much you want in damages as a result of the injury.
A good Dallas car accident lawyer can help you determine whether or not it’s likely that a driver who caused you injury would be likely to be held liable for the damages in court. You need to make certain you speak with a good car accident attorney as soon as you can. If you’re not certain whether or not the driver that hit you was actually negligent, the lawyer will be able to work with you to determine whether that was the case and whether the lawsuit is worth pursuing.
