Most accidents involving vehicles are not really “accidents” at all. While wrecks are rarely intentional, if you look deep enough, you can typically find some element of driver error that caused the crash – and that makes it hard to classify a crash as an “accident.” One report says that all but 2% of crashes can be traced to mistakes by drivers.
In order to claim compensation, you need to show that it was the other driver that made the error. Often there is more than one mistake contributing to the crash, so you want to show that the other driver was more to blame than you.
What sorts of mistakes do drivers make?
Here are the top five driver errors that could cause a crash:
- Speeding: It only takes one car traveling at a different rate than the rest to cause havoc.
- Distraction: Even a fully focused driver can find it hard to see everything going on around them. Yet many drivers are not even looking.
- Making the wrong assumptions about other drivers: It is natural to second guess what another vehicle will do, but making a must-make maneuver based on it puts you are a great risk. Always allow yourself an escape route in case you guessed wrong.
- Driving too close to the vehicle in front: You should be at least 3 seconds behind. If you are not, you risk going into the back of them if they brake suddenly.
- Failing to check properly before maneuvring: Cars have mirrors for a reason, but they only work if properly adjusted and if you keep checking them. It only takes a split second to miss something.
If another driver injures you, do not accept it when they tell you it was an accident. Instead, get legal help to discover what they did wrong.