You Rear-Ended Someone - And it Was Their Fault

 Posted on August 03, 2022 in Car Accident

In most rear-end collisions, the driver in the rear vehicle is almost automatically considered at fault. Usually, rear-end collisions occur when the driver in the back was tailgating and could not stop in time, or failed to factor slippery road conditions into their stopping distance. However, there are instances where the driver in front is completely at fault for causing a rear-end collision. If you are in the odd position of having been forced to hit the vehicle in front of you, you may be able to recover compensation from the driver who actually caused the car accident. Because these circumstances are rare - although not nearly as rare as one might think - proving that the driver ahead was at fault may be challenging. You will need a skilled Colorado personal injury attorney to help you gather and submit the evidence you need. 

When is the Front Driver Responsible for a Rear-End Collision?

Rear-end collisions caused by the driver in front tend to fall into one of a few common categories, including:  

• Cut-offs - Another driver has been riding your bumper for the last five miles. They finally get around you, but now they are angry that you slowed them down. For “revenge,” they whip into your lane and illegally brake-check you. You have no chance of stopping in time to avoid hitting them. Here, the driver in front is at fault for the accident. 

• Ignoring right-of-way - You have the right of way. Your light is green, or you are on a straight stretch of road with no stop signs or signals. Someone else is on a side street or in a shopping plaza trying to enter the main road when they make their turn without regard for the fact that you are coming at them. You expected them to respect your right-of-way and when they did not, you could not avoid hitting them. The driver who pulled onto the main road right in front of you is at fault. 

• No tail lights - When it is dark, raining, or foggy, drivers rely on headlights and tail lights to spot each other despite impaired visibility. Even in good conditions, drivers rely on brake lights when the people ahead are stopping. When the driver in front of you has no tail lights on or their brake lights do not work, you have no warning that you need to slow down to avoid a collision. In that case, it was again the driver in front who caused the crash.  

If you have found yourself in an accident like one of these, you may be entitled to recover compensation from the driver who caused the crash. 

Call a Larimer County Rear-End Collision Attorney

Hoggatt Law Office, P.C. is skilled at taking on complex car accident cases and finding the right evidence. Our experienced Ft. Collins rear-end collision lawyers will use a variety of evidence-gathering strategies to help you prove that the driver ahead of you was at fault. Call 970-225-2190 for a free consultation. 

Source:

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/front-range/denver/colorado-state-patrol-says-road-rage-is-getting-uglier-angrier-and-more-aggressive