What You Should Know About Rear-End Accidents

A rear-end collision is one of the most common types of car accidents in the United States. They make up roughly 40% of the nearly 6 million car accidents that occur every year. In other words, there is a rear end crash approximately every 8 seconds. While the vast majority of rear-end crashes occur at low speeds, they can still cause serious injuries. In most situations, the driver who hits the rear-end of the other vehicle is at fault, but fault is not determined automatically. There are situations where the fault may lie with the other driver.

Negligence and Rear-End Crashes

In order to establish liability, one party must show that another was at fault by proving negligence. It means that one driver failed to exercise the minimal level of care on the road. All drivers owe one another a duty to be attentive and careful when they are on the road. If a driver fails to do this, they have breached their duty of care. When that breach (such as speeding or failing to follow the rules of the road) causes damage or an injury, then that driver is considered legally liable.

Rear-end car accidents are commonly caused when a driver is not paying attention. One of the reasons that this type of rear-end accident occurs so frequently is because drivers often fail to keep enough distance between their car and the cars in front of them. This distance is important to allow the driver enough time to react to a sudden stop.

Common Causes of Rear-End Car Accidents

Although inattention is the most common cause of a rear-end car accident, these crashes can occur for a variety of other reasons as well, including situations where the fault may be shared with the driver who got hit. Examples include:

• A driver stops suddenly while turning
• A driver’s brake lights do not work
• A driver suddenly reverses without looking behind them
• A driver has a problem with their vehicle but does not use their hazards lights or pull off to the side of the road

Slowing suddenly is generally not a good enough reason to avoid liability because the driver following the stopping vehicle should be paying attention and have enough room between their car and the car in front of them to react safely.

Finding an Experienced Car Accident Attorney

You can do everything in your power on the road to be a safe driver, but unfortunately, you cannot control the actions of other drivers. If you or a loved one is involved in a rear-end accident, please contact our New Orleans personal injury attorneys at the Womac Law Firm today!

Call (504) 470-3935 for a free case evaluation.