In our line of work, we hear about accidents all the time: car accidents, motorcycle accidents, tracking accidents and so on. Once you start looking at the facts, however, you may find that there was no accident at all. In fact, what we report as “accidents” are often crashes caused by the negligence of others. Let’s take a look.
“Accident” Implies No Fault
Calling something an accident indicates that it was no one’s fault or that it could not have been avoided. With car crashes, though, we know this is generally not the case. Cars do not crash themselves and most collisions are caused by distracted or careless drivers.
Just this month, NBA star Shawn Bradley was involved in a car crash while riding his bike. The other driver was clearly distracted and hit Bradley from behind. Bradley spent eight weeks in the hospital and underwent a neck fusion injury, though the injuries unfortunately left him paralyzed. When reporting the story, however, several news sources referred to the crash as an accident, as if to imply Bradley was the only party involved in the crash.
Clarity Is Key
As attorneys, it is our duty to seek truth. That means looking out for the facts and knowing when someone is trying to hide them. When people mistakenly apply the term “accident,” it removes an entire party from culpability. We owe it to victims like Shawn Bradley to be clear: people make mistakes and those mistakes have real consequences. In order to better prevent car crashes like this, we must first recognize just how prevalent they are.
If you ever find yourself involved in an “accident” that seems more like a crash, please reach out to our attorneys. We’ll be happy to fight for the truth and deliver the results you deserve.
Read the full story at Yahoo!.
