When seeking compensation for your injuries, your attorney must prove the other party is liable. Proving liability means you will have to address four factors to hold someone else accountable for your damages. Below, our Fairfax car accident lawyers will explain the four elements you need to know when moving forward to help safeguard your rights.
Duty of Care
Whenever someone gets behind the wheel of a car, they have a duty to ensure they keep themselves and others safe. They accept a duty of care to follow laws, drive safely, and respect all others on the road. Unfortunately, not everyone takes this duty of care as seriously as they should. Your lawyer must prove what that duty was in your case.
Breach of Duty of Care
Any negligent action is a breach of the driver’s duty of care. For instance, when someone texts and drives, and causes a crash, they have breached their duty of care. Some of the actions that can cause a breach in the duty of care include:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Fatigued driving
- Speeding
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Failing to pay full time and attention to surroundings
Causation
To hold someone accountable, you must show that someone’s actions led to the crash and caused you injury. Without causation, you may be unable to hold a specific person accountable for their actions.
Damages
Finally, you must show that you suffered damages and quantify those damages as a result of someone else’s negligence. Damages can include medical expenses, lost income, property damage, and more. If you are unsure if you have damages from a crash, speak with a lawyer. Your compensation should cover all of the losses you experience, including reasonable future losses.
At Shevlin Smith, we make you a top priority. Our Fairfax car accident lawyers are here to guide you through the process. We’ll be your trusted advocates from start to finish, going above and beyond to be your beacon of hope and pursue the compensation you deserve.
