Single Vehicle Accident: Help for Philadelphia Crash Victims

A single vehicle accident can have devastating consequences for you and your property. When one car is involved in a crash, the driver is most often at fault, but there are several exceptions. If you are an injured passenger, you are not at fault and can be compensated for your injuries. Also, a thorough investigation of the individual accident and vehicle might reveal that another agency or company is potentially responsible for the crash. In any of these cases, it is important for an injured party to seek out resources in the form of an experienced and talented Philadelphia car accident attorney.

What is a Single Vehicle Accident in Philadelphia?

By their very definition, a single-vehicle accident in Philadelphia involves only one car, truck, motorcycle, or another vehicle.  Some of the most common single vehicle accident scenarios in Philadelphia include running off the road, spinning out without striking anything, hitting something on the side of the road like a tree or guardrail, or flipping over the vehicle. 

In most of these cases, the single vehicle driver would need to contact their insurance company to recover compensation for damages and injuries. However, the victim might stop there.  There are some circumstances in which the driver of a single vehicle involved in an accident is not liable for the crash. While these circumstances are rare, a driver in a single-vehicle crash should always investigate whether or not other sources of compensation are available to them.

Who is Responsible in a Single Vehicle Accident?

One common example of a true one vehicle accident involves someone driving off the road and striking a guardrail, building, or tree. The presumption in such an accident is that the only driver of that vehicle is responsible for the damages and injuries. This means that that driver would have to contact their own insurance company and be limited to payments associated with their coverage.

 However, that driver might not be completely responsible if the vehicle accident was caused by dangerous roadway conditions, such as severe potholes and improper road maintenance. If those issues contributed to or completely caused the accident, the driver could have grounds to initiate a legal claim against the responsible entity, state agency, or organization. 

The government agency responsible for maintaining the road could be held liable in a single-vehicle accident in Philadelphia if it can be shown that they had a legal responsibility to maintain the roadway and failed to do so.  These kinds of single-vehicle accident claims can be extremely complex and require the insight of a dedicated Philadelphia single vehicle accident lawyer. 

Another example of a case in which a single vehicle accident driver could potentially hold another party liable has to do with car or vehicle part defects.  A failure or defect experienced by the driver of the vehicle must be sudden and unexpected in order to qualify.

Therefore, a driver who knew about a significant mechanical issue but chose not to get it fixed might not have grounds to hold the manufacturer of that part responsible. The key here is whether or not the driver in question knew about the issue and should have acted as a reasonable person to investigate and fix the issue.

In those cases in which the driver had no idea about the defect, however, that person might have the standing to initiate a Philadelphia single vehicle accident legal claim. Expert witnesses are frequently used in those kinds of cases to show that a design defect, a manufacturing defect, or a failure to warn places liability on another party. 

What to Do After Your Pennsylvania Single Vehicle Accident

If you believe that you have been involved in a single-vehicle accident and that another party is responsible for the injuries you have sustained, you need to gather evidence associated with your claim as soon as possible. A Philadelphia single-vehicle accident lawyer can help you to assess whether or not you have grounds to file a legal claim. We can also assist you with recovering compensation from insurance, and take your case to trial, if necessary.

Other factors that are important for a Philadelphia single-vehicle accident victim to take into account include: reporting the accident to the car insurance carrier immediately, getting contact information from any witnesses to what happened, and taking pictures of the scene of the crash. Cases involving claims against government agencies often have a shorter statute of limitations than traditional personal injury cases, meaning that it is imperative for an accident victim to hire a Philadelphia single-vehicle accident attorney immediately.

If you believe that the accident was caused by a vehicle defect, this mechanical failure should be investigated by a professional immediately.  If you can show that another party was responsible for the accident in your injuries, you could be eligible to recover compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, and other damages tied to the accident.

Don’t wait to get help- evaluate your claim before you run out of time. Contact Fox Law today to learn more about your options.