If you are injured during a car accident as a result of someone else’s actions or negligence, you may be considering filing a personal injury lawsuit to collect damages. You may assume that you can only go after the other driver, but depending on the circumstances of your accident, a number of other parties may be at fault and be eligible to file a claim against. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the parties that may be held liable for their role in an automobile accident.
Liable Parties After A Car Accident
Although we’re focusing on car accidents because these are the most common types of personal injury cases, the following could apply to any type of vehicular incident, be it a motorcycle, off-road vehicle or boat. Here’s a look at which parties may be held accountable for their role in your accident with injury.
The Other Driver – In the event that another driver caused the accident, you can take them to court for damages. It’s important to remember that Minnesota is a comparative fault state, meaning that you can be partially at fault for the accident, as long as the majority of fault does not fall on you. For example, you may be deemed 20 percent at fault for the accident while the other driver is 80 percent at fault. This means you are within your rights to collect compensation, but your payout will be limited to 80 percent of a fair market payout to account for your role in the accident.
Passengers – If any passengers act in such a manner that it creates a dangerous situation or directly causes the vehicle to crash, you may be able to take them to court. If a passenger grabs your steering wheel or a rider gets in a fight with a bus driver while the bus is in motion, their actions could be directly responsible for an accident, and you can take them to court for damages.
Manufacturers – You may also be able to take a car or parts manufacturer to court if a defective product caused your injuries. We’ve seen cases where individuals have taken companies to court over things like defective air bags or faulty cruise control systems. If a defective product played a role in your accident, you may be able to take that manufacturer to court.
City/Government – If improper signage or road conditions contributed to your crash, you may be able to file a claim against the municipality in charge of the road conditions. If major potholes have been reported and the city won’t do anything about them, or sharp turns aren’t adequately marked with signs warning drivers, you may be able to name the city or local government in your lawsuit.
Bar – A bar or restaurant can also be held liable in court if they serve an obviously intoxicated individual alcohol, and that individual later causes an accident. Bartenders and servers are expected to cut off obviously intoxicated individuals, otherwise the business they work for may assume some liability for that individual. These are known as dram shop laws in Minnesota.
If you have been injured in an automobile accident, and are wondering if you have a legitimate injury claim, reach out to the team of injury specialists at Hey Workers. We can help identify the liable parties and put together a strong case that sees you collect the compensation you deserve. For more information, or to talk to one of our lawyers, give our team a call today at (844) 439-9675.
