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Who Is at Fault in a Rear-End Accident? Marietta Personal-Injury Lawyer Examines the Facts

At best, car accidents are costly, inconvenient and very, very frustrating. At worst, they can cause serious injuries and even death to drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Unfortunately, collisions are alarmingly common in Georgia.

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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System recorded 1,085 deadly car accidents in Georgia in 2014, which caused 1,179 fatalities. Compounding these tragic stats, another 116,458 people suffered serious injuries on Georgia’s roads, according to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia.

Side-swipes, head-on collisions, jaywalking pedestrians – of all the different types of car accidents, being rear-ended is one of the most infuriating because it is so easy to avoid. The National Transportation Safety Board reported 1.7 million rear-end crashes in 2012, and those accidents resulted in more than 500,000 injuries and 1,700 deaths.

If you were injured in a rear-end collision, contact the Crosson Law Group, LLC. Ken Crosson is a car accident attorney in Marietta who will evaluate your case to determine if you have grounds for an inury claim.

Our office is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 678-909-0770 to schedule a free initial consultation. You can also learn more about car accident injury claims by visiting USAttorneys.com.

How Do Rear-End Car Accidents Happen?

Rear-end accidents are great advertisements for the wisdom of keeping a safe following distance between your car and the one in front at all times. The unpredictable nature of driving sometimes requires that motorists stop suddenly or slow down unexpectedly.

Maintaining a safe following distance falls into the “reasonable duty of care” that each driver owes his or her fellow motorists. The law puts the onus on you to keep a safe space in front of you to prevent an accident in the event of an unforeseen, sudden stop.

Distractions, driving while impaired or speeding – these are all reasons you might end up rear-ending another vehicle while driving. If you have been rear-ended, it is often assumed that the driver behind you was negligent, and therefore liable, as he or she was most likely either following too closely, driving too fast or distracted at the time of the crash.

Are You Automatically at Fault If You Drove into the Back of Someone’s Vehicle?

Not necessarily. Context is critical when determining liability in a car accident. The rear-ended driver may be at least partially liable for the crash if he or she:

  • Made an illegal stop;
  • Stopped suddenly without just cause;
  • Reversed too quickly into oncoming traffic, or without looking;
  • Drove with faulty brake or reverse lights;
  • And stalled suddenly on a busy roadway.

If you were rear-ended by a negligent driver in Georgia, contact a Marietta personal-injury lawyer at The Crosson Law Group, LLC to discuss whether you have grounds for a claim. You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost income and noneconomic damages.

Ken Crosson can evaluate your accident, gather evidence, structure your claim and handle settlement negotiations. He has the experience to litigate your case if it goes to trial.

Call 678-909-0770 to schedule a free initial consultation.