What Are The Causes of Single Vehicle Crashes
When most people think about an automobile accident, they immediately think of a multiple vehicle accident. But many automobile accidents only involve a single vehicle that crashes into a parked vehicle, stationary object, or an animal that is on the road.
Single vehicle accidents happen all the time. While some are preventable, others are inevitable and cannot be avoided, e.g., when a deer jumps out in front of your car.
What Are Some Common Examples of Single Vehicle Accidents?
There are a number of different causes for single vehicle accidents. A few of the most typical examples of single vehicle accidents include:
- Accidents where drivers fall asleep at the wheel. Driving while tired is dangerous, and a driver could lose consciousness and crash their vehicle into any number of objects.
- Accidents where the driver is intoxicated. Drunk or drugged drivers can lose consciousness while behind the wheel and when they come to they find themselves involved in a single vehicle crash.
- Accidents where the driver was distracted. Texting or using the phone while driving, fumbling around with something on the floor of the vehicle, or just generally taking your attention away from driving can result in a single vehicle accident. Distracted driving causes accidents.
- Mechanical failures of the vehicle. Defective brakes or other safety equipment on the vehicle can prompt a vehicle to crash in a single vehicle accident.
- Running into an object in the road. Road debris, lost vehicle parts, or animals can suddenly appear in the roadway, and a vehicle can crash into these objects in the roadway.
- Weather conditions can cause dangerous roadways. Snow, ice, steep grades, hailstones, and rain can produce dangerous road conditions that can prompt single vehicle accidents.
- Speeding. Speeding in combination with any of the above other reasons for having an accident can result in a single vehicle accident.
Could Others, Besides The Driver, Be Held Accountable for A Single Vehicle Accident?
There may be instances of negligence on the part of others that could lead to a driver having a single-vehicle accident. For instance:
- Accidents caused by mechanical defects. If the vehicle experiences a mechanical defect, a part fails, or if maintenance was improperly completed on the vehicle and the result is a single-vehicle accident, the manufacturer of the defective part, or the mechanic who improperly repaired the vehicle could be held liable for causing the accident.
- Accidents caused by improperly maintained roadways. Government agencies are generally responsible for maintaining the roadways in good condition so that vehicles can use the roads. Excessive potholes, entrance ramps that are too short, and improperly marked dangerous road conditions, such as sharp turns or turns that cannot be taken at high speed, can cause accidents and these accidents are the result of negligence on the part of the government agency tasked with maintaining the roadways.
- Other drivers. If a distracted driver comes into your lane of traffic, and you must swerve in order to avoid hitting that vehicle and end up in a single vehicle accident, the other driver could be held liable for their negligence causing your accident. Similarly, if you are a passenger in a vehicle that is involved in a single vehicle accident, you may be able to seek compensation from the driver.
Contacting a Denver Car Accident Lawyer
Even single vehicle accidents could result in a driver recovering full compensation if the accident is due to the negligence or fault of someone else. The experienced personal injury lawyers at Zaner Harden Law have helped those with single vehicle crash injuries obtain recovery when they are entitled to it. Contact us today to see how we can assist you with your car accident claim. Learn more at: www.zanerhardenlaw.com.
Zaner Harden Law, LLP
1610 Wynkoop Street, Suite 120. Denver, CO 80202
(720) 613 9706
