Some Important Information About Rear-End Collisions

Different types of car accidents happen on Iowa roads every day. However, some accidents occur more often than others. According to a report compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, rear-end collisions happen more often than any other type of collision. The NHTSA believes that rear-end collisions account for approximately 29 percent of all crashes. Unfortunately, not only do rear-end collisions happen quite often, but they also result in injuries, and, sometimes, even death, especially when high-speed is involved. Additionally, the majority of such accidents usually result in property damage.

Fortunately, if you or a loved one has been a victim of a rear-end collision due to another party’s negligence, you can hold the at-fault party liable for the accident and receive compensation. If you or a loved one believe someone else’s negligence led to your Iowa rear-end accident, reach out to a skilled Iowa car accident attorney immediately.

After a rear-end accident, people usually assume that the trailing driver is to blame. While this proves to be true in most cases, even the driver in front can sometimes be at fault. Also, sometimes, the lead driver and the trailing driver are both to blame for a rear-end accident. Generally, determining fault in a rear-end accident is not always as straightforward as people assume. Therefore, it is important you work with a skilled car accident attorney after being involved in a rear-end accident.

Tailgating

Tailgating is generally the most common cause of rear-end crashes. Tailgating involves one vehicle following another one too closely. According to Iowa Code Section 321.307, “The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway.” Generally, a driver who follows another one too closely has less time and space to stop suddenly if they need to do so to prevent an accident from happening.

However, tailgating is not the only cause of rear-end collisions. Other causes of rear-end accidents include;

• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Suddenly stopping without giving an appropriate signal

According to Iowa Code Section 321.326, a driver is not supposed to suddenly reduce their speed without first giving a proper signal to the driver to the rear when there is a chance to give such a signal.

So, considering there are various things that can lead to rear-end collisions, you must keep in mind that once you file a claim against an at-fault party and their insurance company, the chances are, they and their insurance company will try to assign blame on you too. For example, if you claim the other driver was tailgating, they may claim that you made a sudden stop without first signaling them.

Because of this, you need to work with an experienced car accident attorney that can help you refute commonly used rear-end collision defenses.

Contact a Southeast Iowa Car Accident Attorney Today

Because of Iowa’s comparative fault law, it is crucial that you reach out to a skilled Iowa car accident attorney if you or a loved one was recently injured in a rear-end collision that you believe was someone else’s fault. Contact our Southeast Iowa auto accident attorneys at the Noyes Law Office to receive professional help.

Resource:

legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.307.pdf