When you are behind the wheel, you expect to reach your destination safely. While you can drive defensively, you simply cannot control the actions of others. If a negligent driver causes you to sustain a serious injury, you likely must act quickly to receive just compensation to help you recover completely.
In personal injury law, negligence often matters. While there are four elements that make up a negligence claim, duty of care is an important one. Put simply, other drivers have a duty to behave reasonably and responsibly. If a motorist breaches that duty, your life may be in danger. Here are four ways drivers may be negligent.
- Not obeying traffic laws
Traffic laws keep motorists, pedestrians and others safe. There are hundreds of laws everyone must follow when operating a motor vehicle. For example, drivers must comply with posted signs and obey speed limits. If a driver refuses to follow traffic laws, he or she may be acting negligently.
- Not using the vehicle correctly
Drivers may neglect to perform regular maintenance or make repairs on their vehicles. A car that is not in good working condition may put your life at risk. Further, motorists may not use a car’s equipment properly. If a driver does not dim his or her headlights, refuses to turn on emergency lights or does not signal when changing lanes, you may not be able to avoid a collision.
- Not staying vigilant
Familiarity can foster complacency. Nevertheless, because most passenger vehicles weigh thousands of pounds, a vehicle can be dangerous. If a driver does not pay attention, he or she may inadvertently cause an accident. Distracted driving, such as texting behind the wheel, falls into this category.
- Not maintaining control
Every driver has a duty to control his or her vehicle. If a motorist stops short, pulls into oncoming traffic or swerves unpredictably out of the driving lane, he or she is not keeping control of the car.
As you can see, drivers may be negligent in a variety of ways. If you or a loved one suffers a serious injury in an automobile accident that a negligent driver causes, you should not have to pay for his or her negligent conduct.