If you have suffered injuries in a car crash, you are probably worried about your mounting medical bills, the wages you are losing while you are unable to work, and your pain and suffering.
Your damages will most likely be covered by auto insurance, so there is no need to worry about that.
The auto insurance of the driver who is at fault for the crash is liable for the damages and will be the one that you reach a settlement with for your losses.
However, this is a complicated situation and you can benefit from the help of a personal injury attorney.
What Causes Crashes
There are several things that can cause crashes. Often, crashes are caused by drivers not being safe or paying attention. In your situation, it was caused by a driver who wasn’t operating his or her vehicle safely and failed to turn on the headlights.
Without headlights, cars aren’t as easily seen and a crash is much more likely to occur. This is a crash that can change your life forever.
Proving Who Was At Fault for the Crash
In this situation, the driver of the other car didn’t have his or her headlights on and it was dark. Without headlights on, you couldn’t see the other vehicle.
It is not legal to operate a vehicle after dark without headlights, so in this situation it would be obvious that the other driver was at fault. However, this claim might not be as easy as you may initially believe.
You would have to prove that the other driver did not have his or her headlights on. This would require eyewitness accounts and evidence from the crash scene.
The driver might claim that his or her headlights were on and that they turned them off after the crash. In this kind of situation, your personal injury attorney might be able to help you prove your claim by conducting a thorough investigation to prove the car was being operated without headlights on.
Daytime Running Lights and Car Accidents
Daytime Running lights are a feature that appear on most cars. These lights are automatic and do not require the driver to turn them on or off. Once the driver turns the car on, these lights come on. The purpose of these lights is not to help the driver see the road, but to help other drivers see their vehicle. These lights are separate from the low-beams and high-beams that are used to illuminate the road.
Most cars will have these lights on at all time, however they can be disabled. If you are in a low light situation, a dark car would be hard to see until the very last minute. If the driver has turned off their Daytime running lights, it is possible that this has contributed to the accident.
Evidence to Gather
If you are physically able to, you can help your lawyer by gathering some evidence at the scene of the crash. If there were any witnesses, be sure to write down their contact information. In this scenario, you were most likely on a road that was not highly populated, make not of any local businesses that might have had a security camera facing the road. If you are able to secure one, or both of these pieces of evidence, that will be a strong help to your case. As mentioned, proving whether headlights were on at the time of the accident can be difficult.
The Role of a Personal Injury Attorney
If you have been injured in a car accident, a personal injury can be the key to winning your claim. The auto insurance company is not going to offer you a fair settlement. Instead, they will offer as little as they believe they can get by with for the crash.
A personal injury attorney will consider the complete claim and will look at medical bills lost wages, pain and suffering, the need for future medical care or rehabilitation, and any long-term disabilities or lasting impact the injuries might have on your life.
Consult a personal injury attorney as quickly as possible so your claim can be thoroughly assessed. Your attorney will work to gather all the required evidence that is needed to support your claim and ensure you are treated fairly throughout the process.
Your attorney will negotiate the settlement while you focus on your recovery.
