When you get into a crash but are the only person involved, you may think you have no way to seek compensation from another party. That’s not always true, though, and single-car crashes could be linked to outside factors involving others.
Sometimes, an accident isn’t going to be your fault. For instance, if your vehicle has a defect that leads to a collision, then you may be able to hold the manufacturer, designer, seller or mechanics who last repaired your vehicle at fault. Manufacturing defects are somewhat common, and you may have a product liability lawsuit as a result of one in your vehicle.
Another possibility is to go after the local or state government for poor road maintenance or design. Malfunctioning stoplights, potholes and other hazards could be to blame for an accident and may leave an opening for you to file a lawsuit against another person or entity.
Still, other accidents are unavoidable but only involve your vehicle. For instance, you might have a cyclist pull out in front of you, but you are able to swerve to avoid him or her. The only problem is that avoiding him or her results in you crashing your vehicle into a pole. Fortunately, you may be able to hold the cyclist liable for negligence since he or she entered your path and you had to react to avoid a collision. This is something to discuss with your attorney, who can help you collect the information you need to make a claim and get the compensation you need from the other party.
Source: FindLaw, “Single Car Accident: Am I Always at Fault?,” accessed June 14, 2018