Car accidents are one of the most common reasons cited in personal injury cases and wrongful death claims. In a typical year, there will be more than five million reported car crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Recovering compensation from an accident, whether it is due to injuries or damage to a car or other types of property, starts with affixing responsibility for the accident.
Legal claims arising from accidents center around the law of negligence that states, in broad terms, that the people who operate automobiles have a duty to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances. Anyone who does not do so may be considered to be negligent. And when a person is found negligent, they then should be responsible for paying for injuries or for any damaged property caused by that act.
In some cases, the person responsible for the negligent act that caused the accident is readily apparent. In other cases, negligence may be much harder to prove or there may be several people, businesses, or municipalities that were negligent in some way. A person who drives over the speed limit and slams into another car might be one situation where negligence is obvious. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is another straightforward case of negligence. Insurance companies frequently attempt to blame someone besides their own customers for accidents. We can help determine how to pursue your claim and against whom.
If you have questions about establishing liability for your injury case, give us a call to talk with an attorney right away. The call is free!
Johnson and Taylor Law proudly serves Portland, Salem and surrounding Oregon communities.