How Car Damage Can Indicate Liability in a Delaware Car Crash
There are many parts to a car accident liability case. The police evaluation, the statement of witnesses, and the travel patterns of the cars all help to determine who was responsible. Whether the driver was intoxicated, distracted while texting, or fatigued can also aid in the determination of fault. At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, our Delaware car collision lawyers represent clients in Wilmington, Newark, and Seaford. We use our experience to analyze the cause of every accident.
Types of car accidents and the corresponding car damage
The way an accident happens helps to determine which driver was responsible. Because different types of accidents normally cause different types of repairs—or cause a car to be totaled—the extent of the damage is a key piece of evidence. Here are a few of the car crash types we review:
- Rear-end collision. This is simplest type of accident, and one that almost always determines fault. If one car has damage to its rear (it needs new rear bumpers, a new trunk, or the taillights aren’t working) and the other car’s front bumper and hood are smashed – then it’s quite likely the driver of the car with the front damage caused the accident.
- Broadside or T-bone wreck. Here, the front of one car strikes the side of another car. Since cars don’t move sideways, unless they spin out of control, the driver of the car with the front-end damage is usually at fault.
- Sideswipe accidents. Typically, the damage will be on the right side of one car and the left side of the other. There are no rules of thumb on which car was responsible, but the position of the damage can confirm that a car passed too closely to the other car or failed to merge properly.
- Head-on crash. When both cars have severe damage in front, this indicates a head-on-collision. This type of damage can point to how fast the cars were going, but not who was responsible. Typically, though, one driver was in the wrong lane of traffic.
The extent of the damage can also be useful in analyzing injuries. For example, a whiplash injury is usually compatible with a rear-end car collision.
An experienced Delaware car accident lawyer will often seek the opinions of car repair experts for their opinion of liability in each case. Though not definitive, the opinion can help firms like Silverman, McDonald, & Friedman make sure the right parties are being sued and held liable. For strong guidance through each phase of your case, please call us at 302-888-2900 or fill out our contact form. We represent clients in Wilmington, Newark, and Seaford, and throughout Delaware.
Attorney Jeffrey S. Friedman joined Silverman, McDonald & Friedman in 2001. He graduated from Widener University School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and in several Federal Circuit courts. He areas of concentration include auto accident and workers’ compensation cases. Read more about Attorney Friedman here.