If you or somebody you care about sustains an injury or property damage in a car accident caused by another driver in California, you want to do everything you can to recover compensation for your losses. However, determining fault can be challenging. Here, we want to discuss whether or not vehicle damage can prove who was at fault for a car accident.
What is Used to Determine Liability?
Vehicle accident claims can become complicated, particularly when it comes to determining liability. In general, insurance carriers will not pay out compensation unless they can determine who was at fault for the incident. After a car accident occurs in Irvine, there are various ways that individuals and their attorneys can prove what happened in the incident. This involves gathering as much evidence as possible. Some of the most common evidence used to determine fault for a vehicle accident in this area include:
- Video surveillance from cameras on nearby buildings
- Dashcam surveillance footage
- Statements taken from drivers and passengers
- Eyewitness statements
- Photograph taken at the scene of the crash
- Mobile device data
- Vehicle black box recording data
- Vehicle damage
How Will Vehicle Damage Make a Difference?
Examining vehicle damage is part of the investigation into a vehicle crash. When a police officer comes to the scene, they will most certainly examine the entire are, including where the vehicles sustained damage. Looking at vehicle damage can tell us a good bit about what happened in the accident.
Often, liability becomes fairly clear when looking at the totality of the vehicle crash scene in Irvine. If there is a preponderance of evidence that points to one party being liable, it is unlikely that there will need to be a close look at the vehicle damage itself. Unfortunately, there are times when there is not much evidence to go by, and law enforcement officials or an insurance company has to rely on a closer examination of the vehicle damage.
Specifically, vehicle damage can help establish whether or not the stories the drivers tell are actually true. If one vehicle has clear rear-end damage and another vehicle has clear front-end damage, then it is very likely that one driver rear-ended the other. This can help establish fault.
However, vehicle damage cannot be taken as definitive proof to determine what happened in some cases. If one driver says they were T-boned by another driver, and the evidence seems to line up with this story, this may not give us a clear picture of who was at fault. Just because a T-bone accident occurred does not mean that one driver or the other was responsible, and without other types of evidence, liability may not be easy to determine.
One or both parties could share liability for a crash, and vehicle damage should be one of the multiple points of evidence that are used to prove what happened. Even though vehicle damage can help paint a more clear picture of who caused the crash, the damage itself will likely not be enough for an insurance carrier to agree to pay compensation.
Work With an Attorney Today
We strongly encourage you to work with a skilled car accident lawyer in Irvine if you have been injured in an incident involving another driver. An attorney can use that resources to fully investigate your claim, handle all negotiations with other parties, and work diligently to recover full compensation for your losses.
