If you were recently involved in a car accident, you might be worried about a lot of different issues like insurance and paying for damage. You might not be sure if the accident was your fault.
Determining fault in a car accident can be confusing, but it’s how insurance companies figure out who’s going to pay and how much they owe.
Negligence and recklessness are two common kinds of fault found for car accidents.
Negligence
This concerns “careless or inadvertent conduct that results in harm or damage.” It is also one of the more common kinds of fault in car accidents.
Negligence can involve a variety of actions such as running through a red light, or not obeying right-of-way rules. This means that negligence can be determined if you fail to do something or actively break a rule. For example, if you were speeding during the time of your accident, you would likely be found at fault for the accident.
Reckless or wanton conduct
This means that the accident was caused by a “willful disregard for the safety and welfare of others.” Reckless conduct occurs when the person in question knows their action has a high risk of causing harm but engages in it anyway. Drunk driving and drag racing are examples.
Reckless driving is easier than negligence to determine in cases of fault. If you were behaving recklessly while driving, you will likely be found at fault for the accident.
Negligence and recklessness are two common and sometimes confusing ways to determine fault. Knowing the details of each of these kinds of fault can help you figure out what’s going on after your accident.
