Who is at Fault for an Accident While Changing Lanes in Massachusetts?
Lane change accidents can be complicated, making it difficult for victims to know who caused their injuries. To identify a negligent party and hold them accountable, Massachusetts victims should hire an experienced attorney.
As a victim, getting to the bottom of a lane change accident is important. Common causes include failure to signal, misjudging lane space, and failure to check a vehicle’s blind spot. Truck drivers, motorcyclists, and drunk drivers often cause lane change accidents in Massachusetts. These collisions sometimes result in chain-reaction accidents involving several drivers. Because of this, it may be difficult to determine whether one or multiple people are liable for your injuries. That is why it is important to hire an attorney. Your Massachusetts injury lawyer can investigate a lane change accident to determine who is at fault for your damages.
Our attorneys are dedicated to helping Massachusetts lane change accident victims hold negligent drivers accountable. For a free case evaluation with the Massachusetts injury lawyers at the Law Office of John J. Sheehan, call today at (617) 925-6407.
Common Causes of Lane Change Accidents in Massachusetts
Lane change car accidents are often caused by negligent drivers who recklessly attempt to merge lanes, resulting in a serious accident. Call an attorney immediately if you were recently injured in a lane change accident in Massachusetts. While fault might seem obvious at first, these collisions can quickly become complicated.
Generally speaking, the driver who negligently attempts to merge into another lane is at fault for a lane change accident. The following are common causes of lane change accidents in Massachusetts:
- Distracted driving
- Drowsy driving
- Drunk driving
- Failure to signal while merging
- Failure to check the blind spot
- Misjudging the speed of traffic
- Simultaneous merging
- Texting while driving
A driver attempting to change lanes does not have the right of way and must yield to other drivers. It is their responsibility to check blind spots, use their turn signal, and ensure that there is ample space in another lane to accommodate their vehicle. Because trucks have very large blind spots, truck drivers commonly cause lane change accidents in Massachusetts. The same can be said for buses and other large vehicles with substantial blind spots.
Reckless driving is a common cause of lane change accidents in Massachusetts. Weaving in and out of lanes is dangerous and might lead to a serious collision involving multiple drivers.
Unintentional lane changes, such as drowsy driving and nodding off behind the wheel, might also lead to an accident. Driving while fatigued breaches a driver’s duty of care to others on the road and is considered negligent. Drunk drivers unable to control their vehicles might also unintentionally swerve into lanes, causing other drivers to react and resulting in a collision.
Lane change accidents can be extremely dangerous, resulting in life-altering injuries to victims. If you were recently injured in a lane change collision, reach out to an experienced Boston car accident lawyer. Your attorney can help you identify an accident’s cause and hold an at-fault party accountable in a lawsuit for compensation.
Can Drivers Share Fault for a Lane Change Accident in Massachusetts?
While some lane change accidents are cut and dry, others are a bit more unclear. If multiple parties were involved in a lane change accident, they might share fault for your injuries. Learning how shared liability can impact your claim is essential if you require compensation after a lane change accident in Massachusetts.
Sometimes, Massachusetts victims are only laterally involved in a lane change accident, making it difficult to determine who is at fault. Suppose a negligent driver failed to signal when changing lanes. Then, suppose another driver was driving under the influence and collided with the first driver during an attempted lane change, causing a chain reaction that injures you. You might be able to see how this could complicate matters for Massachusetts victims seeking compensation. If your lane change accident is complex, involving multiple parties, speak to a Beverly car accident lawyer right away. Your attorney can correctly attribute liability to the necessary drivers so that you can hold all at-fault parties accountable.
Massachusetts is a modified comparative fault state, meaning victims who share liability for their injuries can see their damages reduced in proportion to their level of fault. Modified comparative fault laws might impact lane change accident victims, especially those that attempted to merge lanes at the same time as a negligent driver. If you are unaware of Massachusetts’ comparative fault laws, a defendant may try to use them against you. If victims are more than 51% at fault for their injuries, they can’t sue. To prevent this from happening, hire an attorney immediately after a lane change accident in Massachusetts.
How to Prove a Driver’s Fault in a Massachusetts Lane Change Accident Lawsuit
Because lane change accidents can be complex, it can be difficult to identify a negligent driver and hold them accountable. In order to determine negligence and prove it in a Massachusetts car accident lawsuit, victims should hire an experienced attorney.
Lane change accidents often occur on highways where drivers move at high speeds or in congested areas like city streets. Because of this, the damage from these accidents and the number of involved parties might increase. Immediately after a lane change accident, Massachusetts might be unsure what happened and who is to blame. That is where your attorney comes in.
Using police reports, photographs, eyewitness statements, security camera footage, and medical records, your Cambridge car accident lawyer can determine a negligent party and prove their fault. A Massachusetts car accident report will note police officers’ opinions about an accident’s cause and whether or not a negligent driver was fatigued, distracted, or intoxicated at the time. Your attorney can speak with eyewitnesses and other involved parties to piece together an accident’s events and trace fault back to a negligent driver.
Call Our Massachusetts Attorneys After a Lane Change Accident
If you were recently injured in a lane change accident in Massachusetts, our attorneys can help. For a free case evaluation with the Glouchester car accident lawyers at the Law Office of John J. Sheehan, call today at (617) 925-6407.