Car accident are very common in America. According to the national road crash statistics, there are over 4.4 million car accidents each year on US roads. These accidents range from minor to fatal. The economic impact of car crashes in the US is estimated at $871 billion.
Regardless of the severity of the accident, everyone involved or affected including the drivers, passengers, other road users, insurance companies, accident attorneys, or the court, usually have one question: who is at fault?
Therefore, take a look at different car accident situations and how to determine fault.
Rear-End Collision
Rear-end accidents are some of the most common accidents on the roads. This accident happens when a vehicle runs into another from the back. Minor rear-end accidents are commonly known as fender benders, and, mostly, they can cause very little to no injuries but a lot of damages to the vehicles. However, if the rear vehicle was speeding, the effects can be severe.
These accidents are common in parking lots, the freeway, especially during rush hours when the traffic congestion is heavy, at stoplights, and in the middle of the road when the front car stops suddenly without giving sufficient warning.
In most cases, the rear driver is held liable for the accident because they have a responsibility to drive safely and maintain a safe distance between their vehicle and the vehicle in front of them. This way, even if the front driver slams on their brakes, they will have enough time to stop.
However, the front driver can also be held liable if they failed to give sufficient warning, backed-up into the rear vehicle, or were driving with broken tail lights. In some cases, a third party such as the vehicle manufacturer, mechanic, or local government can be at-fault.
Driver Ran a Red Light
This accident causes hundreds of fatalities each year. The accident mostly causes a T-bone or side-impact collision, which can be instantly fatal because the side of a vehicle provides much less protection than any other part of the car. The accident happens when the front end of a vehicle rams into the side of a vehicle.
A driver will mostly run a red light when they are distracted, in a hurry, or while driving when intoxicated. The driver who ran a red light is always at fault whether they struck another vehicle or were struck by oncoming traffic. 
Sideswipe Collision
Sideswipe accidents occur when two vehicles traveling in the same or opposite direction collide with the] side of the other vehicle. This is common when vehicles collide while changing lanes. Factors such as distracted driving, sudden speeding or slowing down when changing lanes, failure to signal before changing lanes, recklessly weaving in and out of lanes, and failure to check blind spots before changing lanes are considered when determining fault.
If both drivers are at-fault, comparative negligence can be applied to determine compensation. The principles for this will depend on your state.
Parking Lot Collisions
These accidents happen all the time. They are less severe because most of the time, the vehicles are at low speeds. However, damages and injuries can occur if it involves a pedestrian, and, if this happens, liability must be determined.
Determining the at-fault driver in such crashes depends on the nature of the accident. Vehicles traveling through the parking lot lane mostly have the right of way, and this will be considered while assigning blame.
