Possible defenses to liability in rear end collisions

Being involved in a car accident may be frightening, but when you are the person behind the steering wheel when your car rammed into another car from the rear, then it may be quite distressing. Typically, the motorist in the back is at fault, and every so often this will be accurate, however there are a few exceptions. Read on for more insight.

Understanding rear end collisions

Normally, car accidents are determined from the viewpoint of who was better placed to prevent the accident. Given that the car to the rear of another is able to keep a longer following space and have sufficient time to detect any cause for alarm ahead, the motorist following another car is often the most capable of averting the accident. Nevertheless, this conventional wisdom can be contested.

Possible defenses to rear-end collisions

To begin with, what happens in case the car to the rear is hit by a motorist who puts their vehicle into reverse? For instance, a motorist pulls out far away into the junction at a red light and chooses to back up to steer clear of cross-traffic. However, he or she doesn't notice that a number of cars have pulled right behind him or her. So when upon reversing the car, he or she rams into another car. Does the car at the rear which was hit be responsible for the mishap? Definitely not. This is because the vehicle at the rear couldn't have avoided the accident and moreover, played no role in causing it. Therefore, this is an example in which a motorist wouldn't be culpable for rear-ending another car.

Shared liability

There are also situations under which both motorists may be partly culpable. For instance, if the mishap could have been avoided bar the lead motorist slamming on the brakes or making a wrong maneuver, then the drivers may share the responsibility. Likewise, if smoke, fog, or other overcast conditions made visibility almost nil, such that a motorist using sensible caution under the conditions is still not able to avert rear-ending another car, a share of the liability may be mitigated.

If you've caused an accident by ramming into the rear end of another vehicle, you should seek the legal representation of a solicitor at once. The lawyer will assess the details of the accident and come up with the best possible defense against liability for the rear-end accident.