Thousands of people are injured or killed in auto accidents each year. This can be difficult enough to deal with when such injuries are the result of accidental circumstances, but even more so when they are due to the careless or negligent actions of another since such actions can be prevented by exercising the proper level of care. Injuries from car accidents can be severe in some cases and result in significant damages for victims and their families, so establishing liability for such damages is imperative.
A motor vehicle accident recently took place in New Jersey, leading to multiple victims being injured. The collision involved an SUV and a commuter van. One of the vehicles ran a red light, which caused the accident. All told, fifteen people were injured in the collision, some of them seriously. They were all taken to nearby hospital for treatment, and one of the victims was transported by a medical helicopter.
In actions stemming from auto accidents like the one mentioned above, determining liability is based on the legal theory of negligence. Every driver has a duty to other drivers, passengers and pedestrians to use reasonable care in their actions. To establish negligence, a victim must show that the defendant failed to fulfill this duty, such failure caused and accident and the accident caused their injuries. There are many actions that can constitute negligence, and the most pertinent to the case above is disobeying traffic signs or signals. Since one of the drivers ran a red light, which led to the collision, this action may constitute negligence on their part.
Auto accident victims can suffer large monetary damages as a result of their injuries. When the injuries are due to the negligent or reckless actions of another driver, it is important that victims are aware of their potential rights to compensation and from whom they may recover.