Why You May Be Falsely Accused Of Causing A Fatal Car Crash

If you are involved in an accident that results in a fatality, do not assume that the responsible party will be automatically be held liable. It's unfortunate that things aren't always that straightforward in the real world. There is a small chance that you may be accused of causing the accident even if you are innocent. Here are three reasons this may happen:

The Witnesses May Not be Credible or Reliable

By their nature, accidents happen fast and catch people unaware. People who see accidents happening aren't trying to take inventory and notes of the details, such as the location of the vehicles just before the accidents. In fact, a typical witness is more likely to be concerned with his or her safety than the details of the crash. Therefore, a key witness may give flawed testimony that may end up leading to your accusation.

It may also work the other way around; a witness that you were thinking could exonerate you may end up as not credible. For example, it may be that he or she was distracted by his or her crying baby just before the impact, or he or she has a reputation for being dishonest. Statements from such people may not hold much weight in court.

Compensation Tends to be High

A typical car accident award is high enough. The amount climbs even higher if the accident involved a fatality. The surviving loved ones have to be compensated for the loss of support, financial and non-financial, that they would have received from the victim for his or her lifetime. It's easy to imagine why everybody will be running away from the responsibility of paying this compensation.

The Police Report May Be Flawed

A police report is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to determining liability. In fact, if an adjuster disagrees with the official police report, there is a high chance that other parties (such as the deceased's family members) will side with the police officers.

Unfortunately, police officers aren't infallible, and their investigations may result in flawed conclusions. If that happens, you may be blamed for the accident even if you did not cause it.

All these things are more likely to happen if you don't involve the assistance of a car accident attorney. For example, a lawyer can help in amending police reports, especially if they contain factual errors. They can also help you with the difficult task of disputing facts (such as who was at fault for the accident). Contact a legal office like Terrence Salerno Law Office for more help.

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