When New Jersey residents are injured in a car accident, it is important to be able to show that another driver’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident. This can be complicated when multiple vehicles are involved in a crash, but certain elements can still point to a driver’s negligence.
Take the recent case of a turtle crossing the road in a township in New Jersey which triggered a three-car pileup that left two victims injured. One driver saw the turtle and slowed down in order to steer around the animal. However, another driver behind the first driver was not able to respond in time and struck the rear of the first car. That second driver then crossed into a lane with oncoming traffic and hit a third car, which then hit a pole on the side of the road and smashed through a billboard.
Although a multi-vehicle accident like this could have been much worse, two people in the first car suffered injuries. Police investigating the scene issued a citation to the second driver for careless driving. This is an important point for readers of our blog to understand: when a driver is issued a citation by police, that can be evidence that the cited driver was negligent. Victims should try to get a copy of any police reports from the scene of an accident.
Furthermore, a rear-end accident is almost always the fault of the driver who hit the car in front. Leaving a fair stopping distance when following another car is a fundamental rule of driving, as well as paying close attention for when the preceding driver begins to slow down, stop, turn or make any other maneuver. Victims who suffer injury when they get rear-ended by another car likely have a strong claim against the other driver.
A legal professional can help accident injury victims seek compensation for their losses, and review the case for any evidence of another driver’s negligence, including police citations or other evidence of unsafe driving.
Source: NJ.com, “Turtle safety triggers 3-car crash in Galloway Township,” July 11, 2013
