Sudden Stop Car Accidents

Sudden stop accidents can happen anytime a driver has to stop quickly and the driver behind cannot stop in time. In many scenarios, especially when sudden stop accidents occur on roads or highways with heavy traffic, a sudden stop can result in a chain-reaction crash or a multi-vehicle pileup accident. Sudden stop collisions can range in severity, depending upon the speed of the vehicles when the collision occurred, as well as factors such as seatbelt use and the presence of vehicle safety features. If you were injured in a sudden stop accident and you believe another driver is at fault, you should get in touch with a sudden stop car accident lawyer to discuss your options for filing a claim.

Sudden stop accidents can have many causes, and the following are some of the most common:

• Intentional tailgating;
• Failure to leave sufficient following room behind the car in front of you;
• Speeding;
• Distracted driving (often caused by texting);
• Intoxicated driving; and/or
• Object in the road.

Since many sudden stop accidents are rear-end collisions, whiplash (or cervical strain) is one of the most common injuries in these kinds of collisions. In addition to whiplash, other injuries may include but are not limited to:

• Brain injuries;
• Back and neck injuries;
• Spinal cord injuries;
• Fractures;
• Cuts;
• Bruises;
• Internal bleeding;
• Disfigurement;
• Limb loss; and/or
• Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Given that sudden stop accidents can range from relatively minor low-speed collisions to high-speed, deadly crashes on the freeway, it is important to discuss the particular facts of your case with an auto accident lawyer who can help you to learn more about your likely damages award if you file a claim.

Many morth San Diego county sudden stop auto accidents involve more than two vehicles, and it can be difficult to determine fault, especially in a multi-car pileup. Yet even if you were involved in a sudden stop accident with only one other vehicle, liability can be complicated. While drivers are required to leave sufficient following room behind another car so that they can safely come to a stop in the event that the driver in front hits the brakes quickly and without warning, the driver who came to a sudden stop might have been texting while driving or engaged in another negligent behavior behind the wheel.

In short, even if you are certain that another driver is at fault for your injuries, that driver might raise the issue of comparative fault. Under California law, if you are partially at fault for your injuries, the amount of money you recover will be diminished by your percentage of fault.

When you are injured in a traffic collision caused by another driver, it is critical to seek financial compensation for your losses. Whether you are just beginning the process of filing an auto insurance claim or you want to move forward with a car accident lawsuit against the at-fault driver, an experienced traffic accident lawyer at our firm can get started on your case today. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information about the services we provide to car accident victims and their families in San Diego County.