There are many possible causes of car accidents, and not all of them take place in high-traffic areas. For example, drivers are particularly vulnerable to accidents when driving out of a parking spot or reversing out of a driveway. If you need to back up your vehicle, make sure there are no obstacles in your path first. This includes other vehicles, people, and objects. It’s natural for drivers involved in a rear-end collision to question who’s at fault.
When an accident occurs involving a reversing vehicle, California law states that the motorist currently in use of the lane in question has the right of way. This means the driver backing up is usually at fault in a rear-end collision. It’s not always the other driver’s responsibility when an accident occurs. You or a loved one must be familiar with California negligence law and your legal alternatives if you want to pursue financial compensation for injuries sustained in a recent backup accident in California. Click to learn more!
Just how does Negligence Function in the Golden State of California?
There are three types of negligence laws that are enforced in every state.
In states where contributory negligence is the law, a plaintiff cannot win a case where they were even partially at blame for the losses. The plaintiff loses their right to sue for damages if they are judged to be even partially responsible for bringing about the losses to which they are claiming recompense.
The most popular kind of negligence legislation in the United States is known as “modified comparative negligence,” and it allows a plaintiff to obtain some compensation when they are partially responsible for the alleged harm. However, the minimum rate of improvement is 50%. Damage awards are barred if the plaintiff is found to be 50% or more at fault.
For example, in a “pure comparative negligence” state like California, plaintiffs can still collect damages even if they were partially to blame. A plaintiff has the right to claim the remaining 1% of their damages even though they are 99% responsible for inflicting the damages they are claiming.
Reversing accidents typically include a civil action against the driver who backed up into oncoming traffic or into another vehicle. Comparative negligence may apply, however, if the driver was speeding or if the collision occurred at night without the driver using the vehicle’s lights.