There are many Alabama state laws that apply to those operating motor vehicles. For example, drivers generally need to follow all posted traffic signs and operate their vehicles in a safe manner consistent with traffic laws. They must maintain a driver’s license, register their vehicles and pay for liability insurance coverage.
If all motorists meticulously complied with traffic statutes, crash rates in Alabama would likely plummet. However, many drivers routinely violate traffic rules. They exceed the speed limit, fail to yield at intersections and do not use their turn signals to communicate with others in traffic. These choices may then cause collisions.
Those involved in car crashes often do not want to point fingers or sound accusatory when reporting the incident. Despite that aversion, establishing who is at fault for a crash is critical for those with financial losses triggered by a collision.
Why fault is so important
The insurance requirements in Alabama only mandate liability coverage. Policies typically pay for costs caused by someone making a mistake in traffic. When a driver is to blame for a wreck, their policy can pay for property damage and injury-related expenses incurred by other people.
Therefore, proof that the other party is at fault for a crash is a key component of a successful insurance claim after an Alabama wreck. Drivers often try to avoid fault even when they are clearly the one to blame for a collision. They might deny having engaged in certain conduct that caused the crash. They might even fabricate accusations against others to defray their personal responsibility.
Those who did not cause a collision often need to assert themselves when communicating with police officers so that they know what to investigate. They may also need to gather evidence on their own. Photographs of the scene of the crash, identifying information about witnesses and camera footage can all have profound influence on the outcome of insurance claims or personal injury lawsuits brought due to collisions in Alabama.
In scenarios where the party at fault for a crash tries to deny responsibility, those affected by the collision may need support as they navigate the compensation process. And even when a motorist admits to fault, it may be difficult to secure rightful compensation without professional legal support. As such, reaching out for personalized legal guidance as proactively as possible is generally wise.