Single-Car Accidents Not Always the Driver’s Fault
Most
car accidents involve a collision with another vehicle. There is a subset of accident,
however, in which only one vehicle is involved. Injuries in these accidents
are every bit as compensable as multiple-vehicle accident injuries.
The classic single-car accident involves a driver encountering something
on the road that is not another vehicle.
We see many seriously destructive accidents in which a driver encounters:
- Debris that fell from the back of a truck
- Oil on the road
- Road kill that was not picked up
- A tree fallen across the road
- A pedestrian or animal on the road that causes the driver to veer off-road
- A failure in the road itself – a giant pothole, or a patch of loose gravel
- A fallen power line
Freak car crashes
There is also a crash accident known as the “phantom car crash.”
It is almost like a hit-and run. A car swerves in front of you, and without
knowing the harm it is causing, forces you off the road – and into a railing,
a culvert, or a tree. The phantom driver – who may have been distracted
by music or a cell phone call — continues on his way, unaware that he
has caused a serious crash.
Look to your own insurer
If you are in a single-car crash, you have obvious concerns. Without another
driver being involved, how do you obtain compensation from their insurance company?
The answer is the same as if you were in a hit-and-run or a crash involved
an uninsured motorist: you take your case to your own insurance company.
Chances are, your policy covers these kinds of accidents.
You may find, however, that your own insurance provider – whom you have
been paying premiums to for many years – is not excited about paying you
the full amount you are entitled to. They may diminish your claim, delay
payment, or deny you coverage altogether.
When this happens, and when your injury is serious enough to require medical
treatment, you need to call Tabor Law in Indianapolis, at (317) 236-9000.
We are familiar with every kind of car accident – single-car, car/truck,
motorcycle or multi-vehicle – and can get you the financial compensation
you are entitled to.
We’ve been helping injured motorists and their passengers for more
than 40 years. We can help you, too.