Getting on the freeway system is a gamble every time. Every driver relies on other drivers to make good decisions, remain focused on driving, and follow the law at all times. If not, the consequences can be critically dangerous due to so many vehicles traveling at high speed. One moment of carelessness can lead to many catastrophic injuries, and even death.
Have you been involved in a crash on the highway? If you have, call Bill Coats now. He can give you the information you need to make the right decision on what to do next. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, losses and damages that you suffered because of someone else’s mistake.
What Factors are Usually Involved in a Highway Accident?
In the vast majority of cases, crashes on the highway happen because of driver error. High speed travel along with many other vehicles in close proximity make the stakes so much higher. The most common mistakes drivers make on Bellingham and Whatcom County roads are:
- Speeding
- Unsafe Lane Changes
- Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol
- Vehicles on Roadside
- Driving While Fatigued
- Following Too Closely
- Distracted Driving
- Defective Auto Part(s)
Another aspect that is easy to miss is that a freeway that is defective in some way can cause an accident, no matter how safe the driver. Factors such as poor lighting or signage, negligent highway maintenance, sloppy construction zones or ones that are not well marked, and even the highway’s engineering being defective in some way. Multiply any of these factors by the hundreds of thousands of people on the roads every day, and you have a recipe for disaster.
All it takes is a call to Bill Coats to learn if these factors were apparent in your situation. A free case evaluation will get you started on the path to recovering from any damages you have incurred from a freeway collision.
Will My Freeway Accident Qualify as a Valid Claim?
If another person did something negligently that caused a traffic accident, and if you were the victim of this negligence, you may be eligible to file a personal injury claim. Washington State is a “pure comparative fault” state. What that means is damages can still be awarded to accident victims, even if the victim is almost entirely to blame for the accident. The issue becomes just how much the victim can be determined to be at fault.
In establishing a valid claim, the injured party has to show that the at-fault party had a legal responsibility to be reasonably careful. There’s something called “the duty of reasonable care” that all drivers must assume that helps ensure that everyone on the road will do their best to avoid crashing. It’s also on the victim’s burden of proof to show that the at-fault party violated their duty of care because of wrongdoing, such as driving drunk or distracted, or negligence. If injuries resulted from this behavior, restitution could be granted after a personal injury claim is filed.
Protecting Your Legal Rights
Bill Coats has twenty years’ experience representing accident victims. At his firm, the core values are empathy and grit. Empathy, to offer clients help in recovering from traumatic, devastating accidents, and grit which gets the results these victims deserve. He has a strong track record of success. To protect your legal rights, contact him today.