We have always heard the sentence, “Almost all car accidents are preventable.” It must make one wonder which accidents are unavoidable and why. Although an unavoidable accident is a rare scenario, it is still possible. It is an accident where neither party is at fault.
When you are involved in an unavoidable accident, you may be worried about paying for your damages. However, you should not assume that neither was at fault without consulting with Philadelphia, PA personal injury attorneys. An attorney can determine fault and help you receive compensation.
What is an unavoidable accident?
An unavoidable accident is defined as an unforeseeable event where two or more vehicles collide, resulting in an accident. Such accidents are impossible to prevent by using human intelligence, and none of the drivers are guilty of the collision.
Unavoidable accidents are not a cause of human negligence but rather an act of God or a pure accident. This means that even if the drivers followed the traffic laws and paid attention to the road, they still could not have avoided the mishap due to its unavoidable nature.
Examples of unavoidable accident
It is easier to make people understand the concept of unavoidable accidents with examples. Here are a few.
Example 1: Suppose a driver is driving in all his senses and taking the necessary care for a safe drive. Suddenly, the driver experiences a heart attack or loses consciousness for another reason and hits another vehicle. This reason is inevitable only if the driver has no history of losing consciousness.
Example 2: Suppose a driver is driving carefully on the road. Suddenly, heavy rain and a storm appeared, causing the road to collapse and the driver to hit a few pedestrians. Here, the natural forces were to blame and not the driver.
Other cases of unavoidable accidents may include:
- Leakage of oil or gas
- The collapse of a building or bridge
- A wasp stinging the driver
What to do when you are accused of fault in an unavoidable accident?
Suppose you were in an unavoidable accident which resulted in you causing harm to another person, and that person has filed a lawsuit against you. Here, to prove the other party wrong, you need to establish that the event was in no way preventable. If you are successful, the jury decides you were not negligent and thus not liable for anyone’s damages.
Being accused of something that happened due to inevitable conditions can be devastating. You may feel helpless, as the person was hit by your vehicle, but at the same time, you could not have done anything to prevent it. Here is why personal injury attorneys can come for help.
