Car accidents are certainly not unexpected in Providence or throughout the rest of the U.S. In fact, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that that from 2004-2009, there were an average 0f 10.6 million car accidents in the U.S. annually. If you have been involved in a car accident, the first thing you likely want to know is whether or not the accident was your fault.
If you were rear-ended, then assigning blame may be fairly cut-and-dry. Basic rules of the road state that anyone following you should leave enough space between yours and his or her vehicle to avoid hitting you if you had to stop suddenly. However, that’s not to say that you will automatically shoulder all of the blame if you were the one to hit another car from behind. If the driver of the car in front of you was negligent in his or her stopping in a lane of traffic, then he or she may also be assigned some degree of responsibility.
If you are struck by a vehicle making a left-hand turn, liability will typically always fall to the other driver. That’s because he or she must yield you the right of way when you are traveling straight through an intersection.
If your accident was more complex than those mentioned above, consult police reports. In them, investigating officers will typically make conclusions based upon what they observe, such as tire skid marks which may indicate the other driver was speeding. If you notice any factual errors in a police report, contact the department that issued it to have them corrected right away.
Have You Been Injured In A Car Accident?
If you've been hurt in a car accident you need to speak to an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Warwick office directly at 401.946.3200 to schedule your free consultation. We help accident victims in Providence, Warwick and all areas of Rhode Island.
