What to Know About Car Accident Backing Out of Driveway
Many backing out of driveway accidents happen every day as drivers back out of both residential and commercial driveways. This type of accident can be very serious, often causing a T-Bone accident where the oncoming vehicle in the roadway doesn’t see the vehicle backing out of the driveway and crashes into the side of the vehicle.
Why are car accident backing out of driveway so common?
There are many reasons that backing out of driveways increases the risk of car accidents, including:
- When people set out on a trip, they are often thinking about whatever they were doing before they got in the car and not totally focused on driving.
- It can be hard to see oncoming cars when backing out of a driveway, especially when there are cars parked along the side of the roadway near the driveway.
- It can be hard for oncoming cars to see cars backing out of a driveway, especially when there are cars parked along the side of the roadway near the driveway.
If you were hurt in an accident involving a driver backing out of a driveway, call an experienced car accident lawyer to discuss your legal rights.
Backing out of driveway accident fault
Establishing fault for any accident involves analyzing many factors. In a backing out of a driveway accident, the insurance companies will likely assess who had the right of way, what each driver was doing at the time of the accident, and whether there were any other factors that contributed to the accident.
In general, a vehicle that is entering a lane of traffic would not have the right of way, which means they would be expected to enter the roadway only after observing the situation and yielding to drivers with the right of way. If a driver without the right of way crashes into a driver that has the right of way, the driver without the right of way is more likely to be at fault for the accident because they had a duty to yield to oncoming traffic and failed to do so. Failing to yield the right of way is one of the factors that is assessed in determining fault but it isn’t the only one. Other factors, such as whether the driver on the roadway was excessively speeding at the time of the crash can affect the percentage of fault assigned to each driver.
T-bone crash in Ferndale when driver pulls out of driveway
As reported by whatcom-news.com, first responders responded to a report of an injury crash in Ferndale on Tuesday, August 9 about 5:50 p.m. Whatcom County Fire District 7 Assistant Fire Chief Ben Boyko reported that a blue Toyota Prius appeared to have been struck on the driver’s side by a pickup truck as it was pulling out of a driveway.
When first responders arrived, the driver of the Toyota appeared trapped because of the driver’s side door damage the vehicle suffered in the crash. After freeing the driver, they were transported by a medic unit to PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s Medical Center under advanced life support (ALS) protocol. It is unclear whether the other driver was injured as they declined aid.
Seek the help of a car accident lawyer
If you or a loved one was injured in a collision because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced car accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
