Many car accidents happen without warning and bring a variety of damages to those involved. After your car accident takes place in Florida, you might wonder what options you have and who you can bring a claim against. It might not be as cut-and-dry as you expected and, as such, you might be left with a wide array of questions.

Many Parties to Sue After a Car Accident 

Most of the collisions that take place on Florida roads happen due to driver error. However, some of the parties who might be at fault for the accident might not be as immediately obvious as expected. There could even be a variety of defendants to sue in your case. It is important to know who to direct your claim at so that you bring a case against the correct parties.

A Driver: After a car accident, the first person that you will likely look at for liability purposes is the driver of a vehicle. When a driver engages in unsafe actions, they have acted in a negligent fashion and can be held liable in the event of an accident. However, there can be more than one driver held responsible for an accident. This is especially true in chain-reaction collisions involving multiple parties. In these cases, you will find that you have a claim against multiple parties who acted negligently. 

A Vehicle Owner: Sometimes, the owner of a vehicle allows another party to drive their vehicle even though they should not have trusted them to do so. This is especially true in cases involving a teen driver being allowed to use their parent’s vehicle. This falls under something known as ‘negligent entrustment,’ where you must be able to show that a driver allowed somebody negligent to operate their vehicle. This theory, however, does not work in cases involving a stolen vehicle. 

An Employer: Under the theory known as vicarious liability, the employer of a negligent employee can be held liable for the accident that occurs. One example of this is when a delivery driver runs a red light and slams into your vehicle. If the driver was on the job at the time, the employer could be held liable for their actions. However, if you discover that the employee is actually an independent contractor, you may have trouble with your claim. 

A Car Manufacturer: A defective vehicle or parts of a vehicle can come into play when an accident occurs.  This happens when brakes start to malfunction, a steering wheel doesn’t work correctly, or the airbag doesn’t deploy when it is supposed to. This is when you could hold a manufacturer liable under what is known as ‘product liability laws’ in a product liability claim.

How an Attorney Can Benefit You After a Collision 

Because car accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, it is imperative to be prepared for anything. Our car accident attorneys at Sheftall & Associates, our skilled attorneys understand how difficult it can be to face the aftermath of a car accident on your own. If you believe that a person or entity is responsible for your accident, you should have the experienced help of a legal advocate on your side. Please contact our law firm in Florida at 904-647-2296 for more information.