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Car Accident Law - Guide to Automobile Accidents Law




Car Accidents - A car accident is a road traffic incident which involves at least one road vehicle in a collision with another vehicle, another road user, or a stationary roadside object, and which may result in injury or property damage.

In most car accident cases, the key issue is determining which driver is at fault for the accident. Usually, if one driver is negligent and did not use reasonable care or caution while driving, he or she will be at fault. Negligence is a legal theory that is the basis for many car accident lawsuits. When a person is negligent, it means that he or she has behaved in a thoughtless or careless manner, which has caused harm or injury to another person. Negligence may consist of an action (such as running a red light or speeding), or by inaction (like failing to yield, stop for a pedestrian, or turn on lights when driving at night). A driver must use care to avoid injuring other motorists, passengers, or pedestrians. In car accident cases, the law requires drivers to be careful when encountering anyone they meet on the road. This is called the “duty of reasonable care.” If a driver is not reasonably careful and injures someone as a result; the driver is liable for injuring the accident victim.

Car accident victims are entitled to compensation for their injures, lost wages or earning capacity, pain and suffering, and property damage.

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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 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.

  • Car Accidents are the Leading Cause for Teens

    The World Health Organization released a report in April 2007 stating that fatal automobile accidents are the leading cause of deaths among teens and young adults between the ages of 10 and 24 worldwide.

  • Ethel Adams Law Takes Effect In Washington, Defines 'Accident' As Event Unexpected And Unintended By Insured

    This is a law that makes sense because it follows the language of most insurance policies and the approach of most courts. Ethel Adams is a woman who was injured in March 2005 when her car was struck during an incident of road rage.

  • Fatality Analysis Reporting System (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

  • Car Accidents: the Protection Provided by Community Law

    You can insure your car with any insurance company licensed to issue such policies in any Member State of the European Union. This entitlement applies both to compulsory insurance policies in the field of civil liability and to optional insurance policies covering supplementary risks (such as theft, fire, etc.).

  • Consumer Chair Highlights Rights for Car Accident Victims

    Euro MPs will this week adopt a report by the European Parliament's Consumer Protection Committee to highlight protection for people who are victims of a motor vehicle accident in another EU country.

  • EU Transport Accident, Incident And Casualty Databases: Current Status And Future Needs

    The purpose of this report is to review the progress made in the development of databases on accidents, casualties and exposure measures for each transport mode and, where gaps exist, to try to identify various options for EU action.

  • 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.

  • Traffic Accidents Abroad: Still More Clarity Needed in the EU

    During the eighth European Traffic Law Days from 17-19 October in Luxembourg, ending today, leading experts in European traffic law discussed among other issues the future legal situation applicable to traffic accidents involving residents from more than one EU Member State. The event was organised by the Institute for European Traffic Law (IETL) in co-operation with the Academy of European Law (ERA).

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 websie 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

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Car Accident Law is part of the Motor Vehicles Law practice, which also includes: Auto Dealer Fraud Law, Automotive, Bus Accidents, Lemon Law, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents Law, Railroad Accidents, Rollover Accidents Law, Traffic Violations, Transportation, and Trucking Accidents.