Mesa, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, is home to more than 500,000 people, making it one of the U.S.’s largest suburban population centers. According to the city’s website, it also ranks as Arizona’s third-largest city, with Phoenix and Tucson in the top two spots.
With all these people and drivers, car accidents are bound to be all over the three large freeways that splice the city limits. Arizona clocked in with more than 127,000 crashes in 2018, with a common accident type in the Mesa area being rear-end collisions.
Rear-end collisions occur when one vehicle slams into the back of another vehicle. This type of collision can involve just two vehicles, one against the other. A rear-end collision can also involve multiple vehicles, creating a chain reaction type of accident, as the initial impact causes each car to slam into the one in front of it.
A 2015 report from The Washington Post showed that nearly 1.7 million rear-end accidents happen yearly in the United States. Sadly, the same data indicates that driver error causes more than 94% of these accidents.
Serious injuries can arise from a rear-end collision. These injuries can cause enormous bodily pain, hospitalization stays, overwhelming medical costs, and years of treatment. If you or a loved one has been injured in a rear-end collision and suffered harm from the injuries, you may be entitled to financial damages from the at-fault driver.
Contact a Mesa rear-end collisions lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC, to discuss your accident and how you might be able to recover the cost of your accident-related expenses. You can schedule a free case consultation with us where we can review your legal options with you. Call us at (844) 730-0233 to speak with a team member today.
Causes of Rear-End Accidents
As seen in many other car accidents over the past few years, the leading cause of rear-end accidents is distracted driving and driver negligence. Distracted driving is usually ascribed to the rise in cellphone usage in the auto, which has skyrocketed not only among young adults but people of all ages.
While mobile phones are a high driver distraction, according to a USA Today article, there are other types of distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), such as:
- DUI-impaired driving
- Fatigued driving
- Reckless or aggressive driving
- Speeding too fast for conditions
- Malicious tailgating or road rage driving
- Failing to slow down while in new traffic
- Reckless driving in poor weather conditions
A serious rear-end collision can involve one or several of these factors. It is the job of you and your personal injury attorney to uncover evidence to implicate the at-fault driver with one or more of these actions.
Finding liability in a negligence case for a rear-end accident is a job for a Mesa rear-end accidents lawyer. Contact the legal team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today to discuss your accident, how it happened, and what type of legal support you could use to recover damages. Call us now to schedule a free consultation with a team member.
For a free legal consultation with a rear-end collisions lawyer serving Mesa, call (844) 730-0233
Determining Liability in a Rear-End Collision
Many drivers lose attention on streets and highways. Whether it is a glance at the car clock or the mobile phone, a second look away from the road can turn quickly into a rear-end collision.
Establishing liability in a rear-end collision can either be straightforward or somewhat murky. The straightforward scenario is the negligent driver who plows into a stopped car. A quick look at the scene can show that the negligent driver is often the driver at fault.
However, there might be exceptions to this. Evidence may show that the car that gets hit in a rear-end collision might be stopped at the wrong place. Perhaps the car should not even be in the line of cars, or perhaps it should have been moving at the time of the impact.
These are the types of possibilities that insurance companies will fight drivers about. Proving negligence is a critical reason for accident liability. When behind the wheel of a car, drivers are expected to exercise care for themselves and other drivers. If drivers breach this duty, it could happen in several ways:
- Speeding too fast for road or weather conditions
- Failing to brake and stop
- Lack of control over their driving
- The inability of using directionals
- Distracted driving and not paying attention
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Driving too close to vehicles ahead
The police report’s evidence and accompanying images and testimony may show that a driver breached this duty. If the breach of duty resulted in the accident, it is usually a given that the driver from behind that caused the accident will be found liable for damages.
The exception in liability noted above can be found if the driver in front causes the accident somehow. Examples of this could be:
- A car suddenly stops on the street or highway for no apparent reason.
- A car suddenly stops to make a turn, for example, but then does not make a turn, and a car behind slams into the stopped car.
- A car’s brake light fails to perform, and the car behind cannot tell that the car is braking.
Mesa Rear-End Collisions Lawyer Near Me (844) 730-0233
Filing a Negligence Lawsuit
In Arizona, Title 28 of the Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) cover the rules about transportation, including those that are causing serious physical injury or death by the use of a vehicle, which can be found in ARS § 28-675.
When these rules are violated, it can lead to serious physical injuries among the parties involved and a call to find justice for those who have been harmed at cost. This is why some people seek legal help after a rear-end accident.
A Mesa rear-end collisions lawyer can help you understand the laws in Arizona, if they pertain to your specific accident, and how to uncover evidence that can support your personal negligence claim.
Our team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC, is available for your call at (844) 730-0233. We want to support you and your loved ones during this challenging time in your life.
You do not have to allow the insurance companies to offer you a quick payout to ease your pain and suffering. You can meet with us first to explore your legal options. Call us today.
Call or text (844) 730-0233 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
