Failure to Maintain Lane Accidents

Cape Cod Attorneys Protecting the Rights of Car Crash Victims

The car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of John C. Manoog III have dedicated their careers to helping Cape Cod residents and others who have been injured by careless drivers. Founded in 1994, our firm draws on a wealth of experienced attorneys, accomplished professional staff, and dogged investigators to build the strongest possible case for the people we represent. We understand the pain and stress that an accident can cause, and we work tirelessly to see that victims can assert their rights. Car crashes can happen in many different ways, including when a driver swerves in and out of lanes, drifts over the center line, or moves into oncoming traffic. This behavior is often accompanied by other dangerous activities, like drinking and driving, speeding, and failing to maintain proper space between vehicles. It poses a significant threat to other drivers, who are often left with little time to react, and it can cause a chain reaction of collisions.

Hold a Careless Driver Accountable through a Negligence Claim

If you have been injured in a car accident, you may have the right to seek compensation from those responsible. The types of damages typically available in these cases tend to include money for medical bills, missed wages due to time away from work, property damage, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.

In certain cases, the family of an injured person may also seek damages for what the courts call “loss of consortium,” or the loss of the victim’s companionship, support, love, and guidance. If the driver who caused the crash was operating a commercial vehicle, or was otherwise working at the time of the accident, the injured person can potentially also seek damages from the driver’s employer. This theory is known as vicarious liability, and it applies when a negligent individual was acting in the scope and course of his or her employment at the time of the careless behavior.

To assert your right to compensation, you generally will need to prove the four elements of a negligence claim. The first step consists of identifying the defendant’s duty of care toward the victim. This is generally straightforward in car accident cases, since all drivers are held accountable for handling their vehicles with the prudence of a reasonable person. Many types of careless behavior can breach this duty, which is the second element of a negligence claim. For example, a driver who swerves across lanes on a highway while eating or adjusting the radio likely has violated the duty of care.

The remaining two elements are causation and damages. Causation means that the accident was a direct and reasonably foreseeable consequence of the defendant’s breach. Once that has been shown, the victim needs to point to quantifiable costs and losses that are not too speculative. They can be both economic, or objective, as well as non-economic, or relatively subjective.

Discuss your Accident Case with a Knowledgeable Cape Cod Lawyer

If you have been hurt in a car accident on Cape Cod or in the surrounding area, the injury attorneys at the Law Offices of John C. Manoog III can help. We represent clients throughout Massachusetts from our offices in Hyannis and Plymouth. Our lawyers are also happy to travel to you if you cannot make it to us. We do not charge a fee in many cases unless we are successful. Call us toll-free at (888) 262-6664 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation. Nós Falamos Português.