A car accident can change your life in an instant. However, understanding the cause of the collision can take much longer. Two common causes of car accidents are driver error and mechanical failure. Determining the extent to which each contributed to the crash is crucial for maximizing your compensation.
Depending on how the collision occurred, different parties may be liable, or multiple parties may share liability. Whether you were hurt in a car accident caused by mechanical failure or driver error, an experienced lawyer can assist you with identifying the cause and holding the at-fault party financially responsible for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses.
What Is a Mechanical Failure in a Car Accident?
Car accidents caused by mechanical failure happen when a vehicle component doesn’t function as intended. This can cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle, need more distance to stop, or swerve into another lane. These failures can happen suddenly or result from long-term issues that the vehicle owner or maintenance provider failed to address.
What makes mechanical failures so dangerous is that they often give drivers little to no time to react to the situation they suddenly find themselves in. If a driver’s brakes fail when approaching a red light, they may be unable to avoid going through the intersection. Or if they experience a tire blowout, their vehicle could swerve into another lane of traffic or off the road before they can do anything about it.
Common Mechanical Errors That Cause Accidents
Mechanical failure in car accidents has two main causes:
- Lack of maintenance – Worn brake pads, bald tires, and other old components can severely impair a driver’s ability to safely operate their vehicle.
- Defective equipment – Sometimes, vehicle parts can be defective from the time they leave the manufacturing plant.
Depending on which caused the collision that injured you, different parties could be liable for your losses.
Who Is Liable for a Car Accident Due to Mechanical Failure?
The three primary parties that could be liable for a car crash caused by mechanical failure are:
- The vehicle’s owner – A vehicle owner could be liable in a mechanical failure car accident if they failed to take their car in for routine maintenance, allowing wear to build up until a failure occurred.
- A maintenance provider – If the owner did take their vehicle to a mechanic, that mechanic could be liable if they failed to provide proper maintenance. For example, they may not have replaced worn brakes or notified the car’s owner of additional issues that needed to be fixed.
- A part or car manufacturer – Manufacturers can be liable for components that are defective by design or due to an issue in the manufacturing process.
Most of the time an engineer will need to examine the cars to determine whether there was a mechanical failure.
What Is Driver Error in a Car Accident?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), most car accidents are caused by driver error. These collisions occur when the driver makes poor decisions that result in a crash. For example, if a driver chooses to speed when it’s raining and ends up rear-ending another vehicle because they couldn’t stop in time, that accident is the result of driver error.
Unlike mechanical failures, which may be outside of the driver’s control, driver errors are entirely within their control. All drivers can control whether they obey traffic laws, pay attention to the road, and exercise reasonable caution.
Common Driver Errors That Cause Accidents
Some of the most common causes of driver error car accidents are negligence, speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence. These errors each lead to collisions in different ways:
- Negligence – This broad term encompasses many unsafe behaviors drivers engage in behind the wheel. Examples of negligence include failing to yield the right-of-way, ignoring traffic signs and signals, tailgating, and not adjusting to weather and road conditions.
- Speeding – The NHTSA reports that speeding caused nearly 12,000 fatalities in one recent year. Speeding makes it harder for drivers to stay in control of their vehicles and increases the severity of resulting collisions.
- Distracted driving – Using a phone, eating, applying makeup, and other activities that take a driver’s attention away from the road can increase the odds of an accident. The NHTSA attributed more than 3,200 fatalities to distracted driving in one recent year.
- Driving under the influence – NHTSA data also shows that more than 12,000 fatalities occurred in one recent year due to drunk driving. When an intoxicated person gets behind the wheel of a vehicle, they put themselves and everyone around them in danger.
Who Is Liable for a Car Accident Caused by Driver Error?
When a car accident results from driver error, fault typically falls on the driver who made the mistake that caused the collision. The at-fault driver’s auto insurance provider is generally financially liable for your losses.
However, it isn’t always so clear-cut. There may be additional liable parties, such as the at-fault driver’s employer if they were on the job or a government entity if their poorly maintained roads contributed to the collision.
In some cases, both driver error and a mechanical defect could contribute to a car crash. For instance, a driver is tailgating someone when their brakes fail, causing them to rear-end the person in front of them. In that case, both the driver and the manufacturer could be at fault.
Your North Carolina car accident attorney can conduct a thorough investigation into the collision to determine the at-fault parties and pursue compensation from all available sources.
Get in Touch with Our Car Accident Lawyers Today for Help
At Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks our lawyers have over 90 years of combined legal experience. We also use a state-of-the-art case tracking system, provide hands-on treatment, and have staff members fluent in English and Spanish ready to assist you.
Although each case is unique and past results cannot guarantee any outcome, we have obtained millions of dollars in meaningful compensation for injury victims. As one client said:
“From the very first conversation with David, I knew I was in good hands. Whenever I had questions or concerns, Karen and David were both quick to assist me. Not only are they top-notch in their profession, they’re also down-to-earth and compassionate. I am very happy with the outcome that they were able to provide me with. I highly recommend this group for your legal representation. You will be glad you did.” – Carolyn Jones
Contact our firm at 919-661-9000 for a free case review with one of our experienced and knowledgeable car accident lawyers. We’ll do everything we can to care for you and help you seek the compensation you need.
About the Author
David E. Vtipil
David Vtipil is an attorney at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. and concentrates his law practice on personal injury and workers' compensation. David E. Vtipil was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 21st Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Workers’ Compensation Law.
