Even if you’re not present at the accident, if you are the owner of the vehicle involved, you could still be held liable.
Hopefully, you have never been in a car accident serious enough that you needed to file a personal injury claim. But whether or not you have, you may not know that there are ways you could be putting yourself in danger of facing a lawsuit. Did you know that liability for a car accident doesn’t always go to the driver? Even if you’re not present at the accident, if you are the owner of the vehicle involved, you could still be held liable. Here are a few of these situations you can avoid.
Lending Your Car to an Unfit Driver
If you let a friend or family member borrow your car, then you would be legally responsible for making sure that they aren’t a reckless or incompetent driver. The definition of a reckless driver is a person with a history of accidents or citations for speeding and other reckless driving. As for an incompetent driver, this doesn’t mean an incompetent person. Someone who is a minor, elderly, intoxicated, or otherwise impaired by a medical condition that would prevent them from driving safely are all examples of people you would be liable for letting behind the wheel of your car.
Family Driving
In some cases, you could be liable for a car accident if a member of the family was driving. This applies most commonly in a family car situation, where you are the owner. For example, if you have teenage children who have their learner’s permit or provisional license and are under eighteen, then you could face a lawsuit if they injured someone in a car accident. For this reason, it is important to always accompany your teenage driver according to Maryland regulations until they have properly graduated to a full license.
Company Vehicle
Lastly, you could face a lawsuit if your vehicle is owned through your business and an employee gets it into a crash. While this isn’t a situation you can always avoid or prevent, if the company vehicle requires special training and licensure, such as a commercial truck, then you should make sure that your employees have all of the proper certifications to protect you if you face a legal battle.
Need Representation for Your Claim? Call 410-THE-FIRM!
The Snyder Law Group, LLC, proudly represents clients throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. Our experienced Baltimore attorneys understand the frustration that comes with an insurance company, medical professional, or other party that refuses to accept liability for negligent or reckless behavior. You can take heart in knowing there are talented and experienced lawyers ready to work for you. We are experienced in handling personal injury claims of medical malpractice or injury resulting from serious car and truck accidents, and have secured hundreds of millions in verdicts settlements*. Please visit our website, www.410thefirm.com, for more information and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and LinkedIn.