You’ve been injured in a serious car accident and you’ve never experienced anything like this in the past, so you aren’t sure of where to turn during this difficult time. After you have taken the time to look after your health, you might be concerned about the amount of money that you have spent on things like medical bills, lost wages, and many other costs in the future. From the moment that you speak with an attorney to the times you start gathering evidence, one question remains: who will you bring a claim against after your accident?
The truth is, not every car accident will be cut-and-dry, and so the answers will not be obvious to you. Because there are several parties who could be liable for these serious accidents, it is imperative to speak with an attorney as soon as possible so that they can help you identify these parties and move forward with your claim.
Who to Sue?
Driver: One or more of the drivers involved in an accident tend to be liable at least in some way in your motor vehicle accident. When somebody has acted with negligent or unsafe actions, there is no doubt that they should be held responsible for their acts when you bring your claim. When a chain-reaction accident takes place, you might find that there is more than one driver responsible for your accident, based on the acts that the parties participated in at the time of the crash. It is imperative to name all parties, instead of just one, to increase your success in your accident claim.
Vehicle Owner: Perhaps the owner of a vehicle trusted another individual with their vehicle and an accident resulted. You must be able to show that the party should have reasonably known that a serious accident could result because they allowed an untrustworthy party to use their vehicle.
Employer: In some cases, you might find that you are able to bring a claim against an employer following your car accident, especially if the employer acted negligently by hiring somebody who was not a good fit for the job and put your life in danger. If the employee is an actual employee and not an independent contractor, you might be able to bring a claim against the company who employed them.
Car Manufacturer: Defective vehicle accidents do not happen as commonly as driver error, but they still occur on our roads every year. There are many accidents that take place due to the negligence of manufacturers every year, such as incidents involving brake malfunctions, tires blowing out, airbags failing to deploy, and more.
Government Entities: When poor road conditions lead to an accident, you might find that a government entity is responsible for your accident. Government entities are sometimes responsible for maintenance and repairs of our roadways, which means that you might be able to hold them liable for an accident if the road caused your accident. These claims are more complex than other types of claims, which is why you want to start working with an attorney immediately.
Moving Forward with Your Personal Injury Claim
At Katz, Kantor, Stonestreet & Buckner, our experienced car accident attorneys in West Virginia have handled many personal injury claims for parties who have suffered the ill effects of serious and harmful car accidents. When you believe that another party is liable for your accident, it is imperative to speak with an attorney immediately so that you can protect yourself and retain your rights at this time. Please contact us for more information on how we can assist you at (304) 713-2014. We are waiting to hear from you.