Investigating faults in Fort Lauderdale car accidents generally requires several steps. Your personal injury attorney must gather and analyze witness accounts, examine damage to vehicles involved in the crash, secure any video footage related to the accident, read the police report, and consider other relevant evidence.
When one or more parties are negligent, they are generally responsible for a resulting car accident. Your car accident lawyer will identify negligent behaviors and establish fault through evidence and other means.
How to Prove Fault for a Fort Lauderdale Car Accident
The specific process of proving fault is unique to each car accident—each collision is different. Still, car accident attorneys generally consider several resources when proving fault, including:
Statements From Those Involved in the Accident
Your personal injury lawyer will weigh your account of the accident and review any statements other involved parties gave to law enforcement officers, bystanders, or others. Your attorney will specifically look for:
- An explicit admission that a motorist caused the accident
- Admissions to behaviors (like distracted driving) that led to the collision
- An apology, which may indicate wrongdoing
- Any other statements or actions that indicate the at-fault driver is responsible for the car accident
An admission of wrongdoing can be among the most important evidence in a car accident case.
Eyewitness Accounts
Eyewitnesses may provide detailed, unbiased accounts of how and why the accident happened. Your car accident lawyer may use existing eyewitness testimony and re-interview witnesses for more detailed accounts.
Videos and Photographs
Your attorney may seek:
- Video footage of the accident
- Video footage of relevant events that led to the accident (like a motorist weaving through traffic at high speeds)
- Photographs of vehicle damage and the accident scene
A picture can be worth a thousand words, and a video may be worth even more. Your motor vehicle accident attorney will actively seek any visual evidence that contributes to your case for compensation.
A Police Report
A law enforcement officer’s report carries authority. Your lawyer will obtain a copy of the incident report and extract relevant details (like the officer’s determination of why the accident happened).
Expert Testimony
Experts may:
- Testify about why and how the accident happened
- Provide an opinion about who is at fault for the accident
- Reconstruct the accident based on witness accounts
- Substantiate your case for compensation
If any other evidence or resources can help your attorney prove fault, they will use that evidence in your case. They will aim to establish beyond a doubt who is at fault for the accident and, therefore, who is financially liable for victims’ damages.
Car Accident Investigations Are Time-Sensitive
You should not wait to hire an auto accident attorney in Fort Lauderdale, as securing evidence is a highly time-sensitive responsibility. As you seek legal representation, consider that:
- Eyewitness accounts can fade with time and may lose credibility the longer you wait to obtain them
- Video footage from traffic cameras, security cameras, and other sources will likely be erased after a certain period
- Several other forms of physical evidence may be unavailable if you wait to hire your car accident attorney
While your legal team will seek evidence immediately, they cannot begin working until you formally hire them. The legal process is complex and time-consuming. Don’t wait any longer to look for and hire your Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney.
You Must Disprove Accusations That You Contributed to the Car Crash
When investigating fault for your car accident, your lawyer will confront a key question: Is one party responsible, or do multiple parties share fault?
The responsible party may accuse you of contributing to your car accident. Florida’s comparative negligence law (Florida Statutes § 768.81) means that:
- Multiple parties can be held responsible for a car accident.
- When someone is partially responsible for an accident (but does not have majority responsibility), they can still seek compensation from the other at-fault party or parties.
- Someone who is partially at fault for an accident should expect their financial awards to be reduced proportionally.
Accepting as little fault as possible for your car accident (or, preferably, no fault at all) is critical. Your attorney will work to establish that you did not cause your accident or that another party has significantly more fault for the collision than you do.
Allow a car accident lawyer to serve you, fighting to secure fair compensation for your medical costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other accident-related damages.
Call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato Today for Your Free Car Accident Consultation
Florida Statutes § 95.11 generally requires our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys to file car accident lawsuits within two years of the accident. This time limit can arrive faster than you realize, and we must gather time-sensitive evidence as soon as possible.
We can handle all aspects of your accident claim and help you seek a fair settlement that covers all your economic and non-economic damages. Call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato today at (954) 633-8270 for your free, no-obligation consultation.
