Proving Fault for the Accident After a Driver Runs Through a Stop Sign
November 1 2014
Let’s say you stop at a stop sign, look both ways and proceed when a car approaches the intersection, fails to stop and hits you. What if your word against theirs isn’t enough to prove who was at fault? What do you do?
In every auto accident case, a plaintiff must be able to prove that the defendant was negligent and that their negligence played a key role in the plaintiff’s injury. To win your claim and get the money you deserve, you may have to provide evidence to the insurance company. Hopefully, there were witnesses. If there weren’t any witnesses, skip down to the next paragraph. The statements of the witnesses are vital to your case. If you weren’t able to get their statements, hopefully the officer at the scene of the accident interviewed people that surrounded the accident.
Did you take any pictures of the accident? Photos of the scene of the accident can be crucial evidence as to how the accident occurred. If you were unable to take photos, then possibly you could capture footage from the officer’s dash cam. If you did take photos, things that work in your favor are skid marks on the road, the debris from each vehicle and the location of each vehicle on the street.
If the officer arrived on scene and you told them that the other driver ran the stop sign, this works in your favor. No matter what the other driver who caused the accident says. This statement is now on record and can be used against the driver.
You have evidence, your statement was recorded at the scene of the accident, now what?
Call an experienced auto injury lawyer. Did you know that a reputable injury lawyer will offer you a free initial consultation? This is where you should ask questions as to how much your case is worth? Can the attorney prove fault? What will I have to do from here on out? If you hire the attorney, you shouldn’t have to do much of anything. They should be fighting the insurance companies, investigating the scene of the accident and working to get you the best possible result.
Proving who is at fault is easier with an experienced attorney – this is what they do every day. It would be very difficult to try to work with the other driver’s insurance company and negotiate a settlement. They use clever tactics and underhanded methods to pay you the least money possible. An injury lawyer will get you money for lost wages, past, present and future medical bills, pain and suffering and the money you need to get your car repaired or replaced.