Who Is Liable in a North Carolina Lane-Changing Accident?

How many times has this happened to you: You’re driving down the interstate and the car in the lane next to you pulls into your lane as if your vehicle wasn’t even there. When this happens, one of these scenarios is what usually follows:

  • You see the vehicle before it hits your vehicle and are able to safely maneuver your vehicle away before a crash.
  • You see the vehicle before it hits your vehicle, but as you try to maneuver your vehicle away, you either hit a third vehicle or it hits you.
  • You see the vehicle before it hits your vehicle, but there’s not enough time to react and there’s a crash.
  • You don’t see the vehicle and it crashes into you.

Many of us have had the experience where we changed lanes too quickly. However, it can be a deadly mistake. According to national statistics, about 10 percent of all crashes occur when vehicles are merging or changing lanes. That comes out to more than a half-million crashes each year. If you have been injured, you may be wondering how you can prove liability in a lane-changing accident.

Lane-Changing Accidents

When a lane-changing accident occurs, one of the drivers is at fault for the crash and any injuries that were sustained. If you were injured in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence or recklessness, your North Carolina accident attorney will determine what the four elements of that negligence were in order to be successful in your accident claim. These elements are:

  • Duty: Did the driver owe a duty of care to drive responsibly?
  • Breach: Did the driver fail to meet that duty in the way he was driving. For example, did the driver change lanes without looking?
  • Causation: Did the driver’s actions cause the crash; did the victim sustain injuries; and were those injuries caused by the crash and not any other way?
  • Damages: Can the injuries sustained by the victim be documented through medical expenses or other evidence?

Proving Liability

It is not always easy to prove lane-changing accident liability. This is why it is important for you to contact a North Carolina car accident attorney to advocate for you in your car accident claim. Your attorney will use police reports, accident photos, and witness statements to help build a case against the other driver.

If you have been injured in a lane-changing accident or any other type of car accident, contact our North Carolina injury law firm to find out how we may be able to help. Our seasoned car accident attorneys have successfully represented numerous accident victims in getting the financial compensation they deserved for their injuries. A member of our legal team would be happy to meet and discuss the circumstances of the accident you were in and what legal recourse you may have.

 

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