In a perfect world, drivers would always be honest after car accidents, and so it would be simple to determine who was at fault and who was not. In the real world, it’s well-known that people are certainly willing to lie or change their story to try to make it look as if they weren’t at fault.
For instance, say that a car runs a red light and two vehicles crash. Both drivers say the other person is the one who ran the red light. This is physically impossible, so you know that it’s a lie, but which driver is the one who is lying? Here are some ways the truth can come out:
The police report
First of all, one source of evidence may be the police report. Regardless of what drivers say, the police can sometimes tell which vehicle may have run the red light and caused the accident just based on what they find at the scene. It’s very important to talk to the police after a crash.
Witness testimony
Witnesses may also have seen the accident happen, and it is a strong source of evidence when multiple witnesses tell the same story. In the modern era, you may also have video footage of the accident from a doorbell camera, a security camera or something else in the area.
Crash reconstruction
In some cases, crash reconstruction teams can be brought in to determine what happened. They will make a scientific analysis, looking at things like stopping distances, marks on the pavement, damage to the cars and much more.
Which insurance company really has to pay?
You can see why it can be very complicated to determine which insurance company has to pay and how much they should pay out after a crash. At a time like this, all involved need to know about their legal options.
