When rules are made to enhance safety, it is vital that those rules be followed by everybody. Unfortunately, this does not always happen, such as when the rules of the road are violated by careless drivers. These violations of the rules, even when seemingly minor in scope, can have major consequences to other Pottsville residents on the road, including serious injuries or even death.
For example, this blog recently discussed the case of a 19-year-old man who allegedly hit two other cars while driving the wrong way. The car accident injured several people, and the man was given multiple citations.
While a citation may seem like a small response when someone grossly violates the rules of the road and hurts others, these citations can prove useful in a later personal injury lawsuit brought against the careless driver. The violation of state traffic laws is often used to support an argument that the other driver acted negligently in causing the crash.
For example, speeding citations can provide strong evidence that the other driver was not obeying the posted speed limit at the time of the incident. A careless driving or other citation can similarly show that the person was not following the rules of the road at the very moment the crash occurred.
These violations can help support the case for liability against the other driver. Indeed, the idea of negligence is that someone is not following the duty of care they were bound to follow at the time. Accordingly, by gathering all the evidence against the other driver, including whatever citations may have been issued, the injured party will be in a better position to hold that driver legally accountable.
Source: FindLaw, “Car accident liability: Proving fault in a car crash,” accessed on June 18, 2016