Stopped-Vehicle Accidents

Car accidents can and do happen in a variety of ways, but most involve at least two moving vehicles. Collisions can, however, occur when only one of the cars is moving and the other is disabled or stopped. These types of crashes are known as stopped-vehicle accidents and they can result in both severe vehicle damage and serious physical injuries.

What are Stopped-Vehicle Accidents? 

Thousands of people are injured in crashes that involve disabled or stopped vehicles every year. These kinds of crashes can occur in a couple of different ways. One involves a vehicle traveling down the road colliding with a stationary car. More than half of deaths that occur in stopped-vehicle accident scenarios, however, happen when a vehicle strikes a person who is either leaving, working on, or returning to their stopped vehicle. These kinds of accidents occur for a number of different reasons.

What Causes Stopped-Vehicle Accidents? 

Most stopped-vehicle accidents can be attributed to a few specific causes, including:

• Distracted driving, with the distracted driver colliding with a stopped vehicle because he or she was texting, daydreaming, eating and drinking, or otherwise not paying attention to the road;
• Speeding, which doesn’t give drivers enough time to adjust for road conditions and avoid a stopped vehicle; and
• Road conditions that change suddenly either due to inclement weather or construction.

The majority of stopped-vehicle accidents can be attributed to driver error. It is, however, also possible for the owner of a stopped vehicle to bear some responsibility for a crash if he or she failed to take certain precautions.

Who Can be Held Liable for a Stopped-Vehicle Crash? 

Who can be held liable for a stopped-vehicle crash will depend on the cause of the accident. Potentially liable parties include:

• The owner of the stopped vehicle if he or she abandoned it on the road without putting on the hazard lights or otherwise obstructed the roadway;
• The driver who struck the stopped vehicle if he or she wasn’t paying attention or was speeding;
• A vehicle manufacturer if a defect in one of the parts led to a mechanical breakdown;
• Another driver whose carelessness led to a stopped-vehicle accident and subsequent multi-car pile-up; or
• A construction company or city agency that failed to properly block off construction areas or put up the proper signage.

Injured parties who can successfully prove that someone else’s negligence caused or contributed to their stopped-vehicle accident could be entitled to compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage, and even their pain and suffering. To learn more about the kinds of damages to which you could be entitled after a crash, reach out to our dedicated legal team today.

Were You Involved in a Stopped-Vehicle Accident? 

Contact Boone & Davis at 954-566-9919 or send us an online message to speak with one of our experienced Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers. A member of our legal team is standing by and prepared to get started on your case right away.

Sources: 

iihs.org/news/detail/stopped-vehicle-crashes-result-in-hundreds-of-fatalities-per-year

crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811059