The aftermath of a car accident can be a hectic time for any Connecticut residents who are unfortunate enough to find themselves in this type of situation. Any injuries need to be addressed with immediate medical attention, while the damage to the vehicles involved also needs to be assessed. As these immediate concerns are addressed, both parties involved in the car wreck will also likely have another question in the back of their minds: How will liability be determined?
Liability in the aftermath of a car accident isn’t always an easy determination. Oftentimes law enforcement officials will need to conduct an accident investigation, noting factors such as weather, tire marks on the road, the probable speed of the vehicles involved and the angle of impact between the vehicles. All of these factors can help many different parties determine how the accident may have happened. But, in reality, only the drivers involved, and their passengers, know exactly what was going on inside the vehicles when the accident occurred.
In most cases, the primary question in determining liability is whether or not any of the parties involved in the car accident were “negligent” in their behavior, leading to the accident. This could include distracted driving, drunk driving or disobeying the rules of the road.
If one party or the other is determined to have been negligent, liability for the car accident could stick to that party. If so, the liable party could be responsible for paying financial compensation to the other party to cover the costs of medical expenses, damages to the vehicle and other financial losses.
