How Failing to Follow Traffic Laws Can Cause a Crash
Motor vehicle accidents can be caused by a variety of circumstances, most commonly because of a failure by one or more parties to pay attention to the road. Occasionally, a crash may be caused by the poor design or construction of some component in the vehicle or because of a poorly maintained roadway. Often, though, the collision stems from violation of a traffic law. What are common traffic violations that lead to car, truck, and motorcycle accidents? Are you automatically liable if it’s determined that you caused an accident because you violated a traffic law?
Traffic Violations Most Often Associated With Motor Vehicle Accidents
The traffic violations that most commonly contribute to motor vehicle accidents include the following:
- Speeding—Exceeding the posted speed limit can make it far more difficult to stop in time to avoid an accident. Furthermore, the faster you’re driving, the less control and response time you’ll have. Speeding is one of the leading causes of rear-end crashes.
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol—When you’re impaired by either drugs or alcohol, your reflexes and response time are compromised, and your judgment is also affected. You may also lose the ability to focus on the road and your driving.
- Failure to use due caution—Failure to exercise caution involves such things as not giving yourself enough time to stop behind the vehicle in front or not slowing down as needed to maintain control during a turn. If you don’t use reasonable caution on the road, you can be ticketed, and you can cause an accident.
- Failure to stop at a red light or traffic sign—Often a sign of aggressive driving, the failure to stop at a red light or stop sign puts you at risk of traveling into the path of a vehicle with the right of way.
- Illegal lane changes—An improper lane change may cause you to strike a vehicle in your blind spot or drive another car off the road.
Does a Traffic Violation Automatically Mean Liability in the Event of a Crash?
If the evidence proves that you were speeding or otherwise violating a traffic law at the time of an accident, will that make you automatically liable for any injuries? Though your violation of the traffic law may be evidence that you were at fault, it won’t necessarily make you liable.
As a general rule, to recover compensation in a motor vehicle accident case, the plaintiff must show that a certain act caused the crash. So, for example, the fact that you were speeding at the time of the crash won’t have bearing on liability if it’s established that the cause of the accident was a defect in the injured party’s car. For you to be liable, the plaintiff must show that your traffic law violation somehow caused the accident that resulted in their injuries.
Contact the Aggressive Motor Vehicle Accident Attorneys at Bailey & Galyen
At the law offices of Bailey & Galyen, we have comprehensive knowledge of the laws and procedures related to personal injury claims. For over 40 years, we’ve provided effective counsel to individuals across Texas who suffer losses because of another person’s negligence, including people injured in any type of car, truck, or motorcycle accident. In our years in practice, we’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in judgments and settlements for motor vehicle accident victims. We are proven trial attorneys who will be a strong voice for you in all proceedings. Contact us by e-mail or call our offices at one of the convenient locations listed below. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
