driver texting on phoneCar accidents often end catastrophically. The individuals who suffer injuries have rights to pursue compensation for the damages they have sustained. However, before filing a claim, it’s crucial to recognize the various causes of crashes and who is responsible.

Knowing the various causes can help you prove liability, which can protect your rights when dealing with the negligent party and his or her insurance company. Here are some of the top causes of car accidents and ways to determine who is responsible.

Drunk driving is one of the top causes of car accidents throughout the nation. Drunk driving liability most often falls on the intoxicated driver. However, Michigan has a dram shop law that brings establishments into the case for potential negligence.

If a bar or establishment serves alcohol to someone who is already visibly intoxicated, they are contributing to the intoxication. They hold some liability if the driver leaves the establishment and causes an injury in a drunk driving accident.

The law looks down on any driver who texts or calls while driving. Distracted driving is a severe problem on the road and often considers three factors:

Distracted driving can cause significant harm. In fact, when traveling 55 miles per hour while looking away from the road for five seconds, you can go the length of a football field. It’s easy to see how this situation can cause catastrophic injuries in a collision.

Drunk driving is not the only situation that brings about third-party liability. There are also situations involving defective products. If a vehicle has a faulty product that causes the crash, the manufacturer of the auto part is negligent and subject to a lawsuit filed by the injured party.