Recovering for Your Losses after a Motor Vehicle Wreck

After an automobile accident, when you cannot work because of the injuries, or you have unpaid medical bills, or have to give up things you love because of the pain, you have a right to seek financial compensation (known as “damages”) from the at-fault parties. It’s typical to think only of the carelessness or negligence of the other driver, but there may be many potentially responsible parties, including:

• The person or establishment that served or sold the alcohol, if the accident was caused by an intoxicated or impaired driver—such actions are known as “dram shop” or “social host liability” claims
• An employer, under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, if the accident was caused by an employee while in the course of his duties
• A designer, manufacturer, wholesaler, distributor or retailer, if the accident resulted from the malfunction or failure of another motor vehicle or one of its parts—this is commonly referred to as product liability.
• The owner of a vehicle (such as a parent, relative or friend), if the owner knew or should have known that the person causing the accident was inexperienced, careless or otherwise a risk to others while behind the wheel of a car
• A municipality or governmental body/agency, if the accident was the result of poor maintenance of the streets and highways
• Your motor vehicle insurance provider, if the other driver was uninsured or underinsured and you had a rider on your policy to offered some level of coverage in those circumstances