Car Accident Law


Car Accident Law


What is Car Accident Law? This subset of personal injury law deals with legal claims that arise when compensable injuries and/or property damages are sustained in a car accident. A car accident is defined as “a road traffic collision which includes a road vehicle and either another road user or a stationary roadside object.”

Establishing negligence is key in a car accident lawsuit since it usually determines who is at fault, and therefore who is liable (legally responsible). Negligence may be found when an individual failed to use reasonable care and this action or failure to act resulted in injury or harm to another individual. This legal theory is an essential element for a successful car accident injury claim. Negligence can include acting carelessly or thoughtlessly, such as speeding or running a red light, or failing to act in an acceptable, necessary manner, such as leaving car lights off while driving at night or not stopping for a pedestrian. The law requires a “duty of reasonable care” from drivers. This means the driver is responsible for using necessary care when operating a motor vehicle to avoid harming his/her passengers, other drivers and anyone else he/she meets on the road. If the driver fails to use due care and this results in injury and/or damages, the driver will be found liable, which means he/she is legally responsible for the accident.

Once liability is established the injured or damaged party may seek compensation, which can include payments for medical expenses, property damage, pain and suffering and lost wages or earning capacity. Even with a determination of liability, most often at issue is the amount of damages to be awarded. Visit Us at Google+ Copyright HG.org

Car and Automobile Accidents in the US

  • Automobile Accidents, Tort Law, Externalities, and Insurance: An Economist’s Critique

    It will be no news to the readers that the cost of traffic accidents in the United States, even on a crass material level, is staggering. Yet it may help to put the matter in perspective to note that this cost, estimates of which range from a minimum of $8 billion to over $12 billion a year, is roughly the same magnitude as the entire annual cost of providing roadways on which these accidents occur.

  • Car Accident Advice

    Car Accident Advice provides the information to help you get the settlement you deserve. Learn the 5 settlement keys everyone needs to know before talking with an insurance agent or negotiating your structured settlements.

  • Car Accidents - Wikipedia

    Road crashes, causing death, injury, and damage have always happened. History tells of many notable historic personalities who were the victim of such incidents.

  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (FARS)

    Feature reports and data on fatal crash information.

  • Special Issues in Auto Accident Litigation

    Special issues arise out of auto accident litigations that often make matters more difficult and complicated. In some cases, potential third parties could come up in a case to account for the injuries incurred by the accident victims.

  • What to Do After a Car Accident

    Over 6.3 million police-reported motor vehicle crashes occurred in the United States in 1998. Almost one-third of these accidents resulted in injury. In 2001, nearly 42,000 people died on America's roadways. Clearly, accidents are a part of life in America.

Car and Automobile Accidents in Europe

  • Institute for European Traffic Law (IETL)

    Seeks to promote training and further education and an interchange of expert knowledge and practical experience in all areas of traffic law. The institute monitors developments in the field of insurance law, the law on liability, on compensation and general traffic law in the European Union.

  • Institute for Traffic Care (ITC)

    The European Commission and many European traffic safety organisations are initiating activities. The European Research Institutes of road safety are analysing and studying behaviour in traffic and are advising on road safety infrastructure.

  • Look at the Effects of Car Accidents - UK

    More than a quarter of a million people are hurt on our roads every single year and almost 30,000 of those receive life-changing serious personal injuries. Even more tragically, 3,201 people died as a result of road traffic accidents in 2005.

  • Road Safety Country Profile - UK

    There are two separate road safety strategies in the UK: The programme “Tomorrow's Roads – Safer for Everyone” covers Great Britain (i.e. England, Scotland and Wales), whilst there is a separate strategy for Northern Ireland.

  • United Nations Transport Statistics

    Publications regarding transport statistics for the EU.

Car and Automobile Accidents - International

  • Australian Automobile Association (AAA)

    The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) supports and coordinates the activities of our constituent motoring clubs and represents the interests of all Australian motorists at a national and international level.

  • FIA Foundation

    The FIA Foundation is a leader in road safety campaigning and research, working with a global network of partners. We also conduct environment and mobility research, and support motor sport safety research.

  • International Injury & Fatality Statistics

    This website summarizes the available worldwide statistics on damage to humans caused by motor vehicles. World Health reports provided useful aggregate totals for various regions, and individual nation reports supplied country-specific data.

Organizations Related to Car and Automobile Accidents

  • AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

    The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is dedicated to saving lives and reducing injuries on the roads. It is a not-for-profit, publicly-supported charitable educational and research organization. Since 1947, the Foundation has funded over 170 research projects designed to discover the causes of traffic crashes, prevent them, and minimize injuries when they do occur.

  • Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

    Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is an alliance of consumer, health and safety groups and insurance companies and agents working together to make America's roads safer.

  • Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals (ATSIP)

    Advises and assists the National Safety Council in the development and implementation of Council positions, programs, and activities related to the design, development, and use of traffic records systems which support the traffic accident reduction and prevention goals of the Division, the Council and the U.S.

  • Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)

    The BTS mission is to create, manage, and share transportation statistical knowledge with public and private transportation communities and the Nation.

  • Federal Highway Administration

    Includes info on highway improvement programs, usage statistics, ISTEA reauthorization and more.

  • Highway Safety Research Center

    For over 40 years, the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center has conducted interdisciplinary research aimed at reducing deaths, injuries and related societal costs of roadway crashes.

  • Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

    The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries, and property damage — from crashes on the nation's highways.

  • National Crash Analysis Center (NCAC)

    The National Crash Analysis Center (NCAC) is a successful collaborative effort among the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and The George Washington University (GWU). Chartered in 1992 at GW's School of Engineering and Applied Science, the NCAC primarily supports the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) strategic goal to reduce fatalities and injuries on the Nation's roadways, but has served to enhance efforts to improve safety worldwide.

  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

    NHTSA is dedicated to achieving the highest standards of excellence in motor vehicle and highway safety. The agency strives to exceed the expectations of its customers through its core values of Integrity, Service and Leadership.

  • U.S Deparment of Transportation

    The mission of the Department is to: Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future.

Articles on HG.org Related to Car and Automobile Accidents

  • Auto Defect Cases in Personal Injury Law
    Per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), any automotive part that “poses a risk to motor vehicle safety” can be viewed as defective. The manufacturers of defective products which result in the injury or death of consumers who use them as directed can be held legally accountable under strict liability laws.
  • Car Accidents: Determining Liability
    Most car accidents are straight-forward and liability is easy to understand. But did you know that there are more factors than the two drivers? The accident could have been caused by a faulty car, or a poorly designed intersection, or even bad weather. Before contacting the insurance company, make sure you understand the real cause of your accident.
  • Semi Truck Driver's Liablility
    A speeding trucker is responsible for causing a chain reaction that caused traffic to back up for hours. According to reports, the at fault semi truck driver was navigating a ramp too fast when the truck tipped onto its side and slid across the highway, blocking every lane on that side of the expressway.
  • Poorly Designed Headlights Leave Many Porsche Drivers in the Dark
    In less than a minute, the high-end headlights could be popped out with a screwdriver, leaving owners and lessees with vehicles that can’t lawfully be driven and that cost thousands of dollars to repair.
  • How to Get Your Car Repaired After an Auto Accident
    Getting your car repaired is usually not an option - you need your car! So after an accident, the repair process can seem slow and frustrating. Here's some tips on getting your car repaired, and making sure the at-fault driver's insurance covers the cost.
  • The Importance of Safety Ratings of Cars
    For many people, appearance as well as performance has always been the first criteria for buying a new car. But do you know that the safety of the car is also extremely important? Just as this is a very important factor in buying a new car, it is also very important when buying a used car as well.
  • NHTSA: 2011 U.S. Traffic Fatalities Down by 1.9%
    In its recent press statement posted last December 10, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a new data analysis on the occurrences of highway traffic deaths and injuries in the country.
  • The Importance of Seatbelts
    Seatbelts are a great help in ensuring that one is safe from accidents. This restraint system has been offered in various vehicles since the 1950s.
  • Feds Investigate Unsafe Honda Motorcycles & ATVs
    Federal agencies are investigating allegations that the largest Honda dealer in the country intentionally and knowingly sold unsafe motorcycles, dirt bikes, and all terrain vehicles to the public.
  • Worst Mistake You can Make With a Personal Injury Case
    After a car accident, a lot of people are worried about their car - but shouldn't they be more worried about their health? Yes! And this doesn't mean worried about medical bills. Not getting timely and thorough medical treatment after an accident is the #1 mistake accident victims make for their personal injury cases.
  • All Motor Vehicles Law Related Articles

    Articles written by attorneys and experts worldwide discussing legal aspects related to Motor Vehicles Law including: auto dealer fraud, automobile accidents, automotive, bus accidents, lemon law, motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accident, railroad accidents, rollover accident, traffic violations, trucking accident.