Determining Fault in a Car Accident

A Jacksonville car accident lawyer can help prove you were not at fault

You were hurt in a car accident in Jacksonville. Can you recover financial compensation for your injuries? That depends largely on who is determined to be at fault for the accident. You need an experienced car accident lawyer who will fight for you. The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic can help you recover the compensation you deserve.

The negligent driver who hit you may have been texting, speeding, operating recklessly or fell asleep at the wheel. Recovering compensation is never simple. Negligent drivers often deny responsibility and don’t admit to doing anything wrong, however.

Their insurance companies are happy to stand by those drivers, because they are trying to pay you as little as they can. How does the insurance company determine fault? They examine the evidence, but they may blame you for at least partially causing the accident. This makes a difference because under Florida’s comparative negligence system, if you are found partially at fault for the accident, it affects the amount of compensation you can recover.

There are no hard and fast rules for determining fault after a car accident. That’s why it’s important to have a lawyer on your side who knows how to build strong cases that get results.

We hold negligent drivers accountable

There are many different types of accidents. You may have been hurt in a rear-end crash or hit by someone backing up or backing out of a parking space. There may have been a T-bone collision at an intersection while making a right turn or a left turn. Your crash may have involved getting cut off while changing lanes. There may have been a chain reaction that resulted in a multi-car accident.

Whatever the circumstances, there are steps you can take to protect your health and your right to compensation. Here’s what to do after a car accident that was not your fault:

• Call the police. They will secure the accident scene and get help for the injured. They will also conduct an initial investigation and complete an accident report.
• Get medical attention. Even if you feel OK, you could have an injury such as concussion or internal bleeding, which can have delayed symptoms.
• Gather information. Ask everyone involved in the accident, including witnesses, for their names and contact information.
• Call a lawyer. It’s important to get legal advice as soon as possible.

That’s why you need an experienced car accident lawyer who is familiar with insurance company tactics and knows how to fight back. We understand the importance of determining fault in car accident cases. We know how to build strong cases that prove a negligent driver caused the accident that left you injured. Our results include more than $11 million for a seriously injured driver who was wrongly charged with causing an accident.

How do we determine fault in a car accident? It starts by investigating your car accident to get the facts. Our legal team gathers and carefully reviews evidence, which may include:

• Photographs – Take pictures after your car crash, if you can. Pictures can provide valuable evidence. Take pictures of the accident scene, including pictures that show the position of the vehicles; nearby homes, businesses and other landmarks; traffic signs or signals; guardrails; debris in the road and any unsafe road conditions, such as potholes. Also take pictures of exterior and interior damage to the vehicles. This includes dents, broken glass, scratches, blown out tires and other damage.
• Video – If there were traffic or security cameras near the accident scene, the crash may have been captured on video.
• Accident reports – When police respond to an accident scene, they will gather information and generate a report. It will document how the accident happened and may include details about the other driver’s negligence, such as whether speeding was involved.
• Citations – If the other driver was cited by police after the accident (a fact Florida law does not permit jurors to learn about in most cases), this can, nevertheless, help lead to other admissible evidence.
• Witness accounts – Our legal team will identify and interview witnesses.
• Medical records – Always seek medical attention as soon as you can after a car accident. The doctor will determine if you are hurt and start any necessary treatment. Your injuries will also be documented.
• Expert testimony – Our firm hires leading independent accident reconstruction experts and other specialists who can help our attorneys and the jury understand how the crash happened.