If your loved one is injured in an accident, your first thought is probably getting them help. But once you seek medical treatment, your family might have other questions. Even though what happened was an accident, you might be wondering is someone else is at fault for causing the accident. If this is the case, your loved one may be able to recover compensation from the at fault party. Fault is assigned to someone if they are liable for an accident. While you might have a general idea of what this word means, you might not be sure of how it legally applies to your loved one’s situation. You can learn more about liability on this page.
What is Liability?
Liability is a term that refers to who is legally responsible for an accident. A person may not cause an accident on purpose, but if they are the cause, they could be held legally liable. This means that they are responsible for any damages that occur as a result of the accident. This might refer to damages to a person’s body, as well as damages to their property.
For example, if your loved one was in a car accident, the person who caused the accident is liable for the accident, usually as a result of their negligence. In most states, driver’s have to purchase liability insurance in case an accident does happen. This protects an individual from having to pay for damages out-of-pocket. Instead, their insurance company pays on their behalf.
Who is Liable?
In some cases, liability might seem pretty straightforward. For example, if your loved one was involved in a car accident because another car hit them, the driver of that car will likely be liable. But in other situations, liability can be harder to determine. For example, in a slip and fall accident, who is liable or responsible for the accident? Was it your loved one’s fault for not paying attention to signs warning that an area was wet and slippery? Or is it the fault of the person who cleaned the area and did not put up proper signs warning others of a slippery surface? Or, is it the fault of the property owner, for not properly training their employees on how to clean and warn others of a slippery surface?
As you can see, determining liability gets tricky in some situations. For this reason, it is important to review the specifics of your loved one’s situation with an attorney to determine who is truly at fault for the accident and who is liable to pay damages. Your loved one’s specific situation could impact the case and who is liable to pay compensation.
Getting Help
As you can see, liability can become tricky when dealing with complex situations or situations where fault is not easily determined because multiple people are involved in the incident. It can be difficult for your family to sort through the specifics of the situation and determine who is at fault and who you should try to recover compensation from.
This is where a personal injury lawyer can be extremely helpful. Personal injury lawyers understand more about liability laws than the average person and can review a case and determine who is liable. If you would like to recover compensation for your loved one, but you are not sure who is liable for the accident, you can contact my office. I can help your family and I am happy to do so. Please contact me today to learn more about how I can help your loved one through this difficult time.
