A woman and her baby suffered minor injuries when their car was rear-ended by a car that fled the scene. The accident happened in Mount Branson on January 10th. Both were taken to Cox Medical Center Branson. If the hit-and-run driver is found, he or she will face serious criminal charges. In addition, the driver may also face a civil lawsuit.
Although this accident wasn’t severe, rear end accidents can result in very serious and deadly injuries for the occupants of the car that’s hit from behind. In Missouri, the driver of a car that rear-ends another will typically be held liable for the accident. But that default rule won’t always hold true, depending on the circumstances. For instance, if a car merges onto the highway without warning, causing a vehicle in the right lane to rear-end them, the driver of the merging car may be primarily at fault for the accident because he or she had a duty to yield as they merged onto the highway.
Fault is typically placed on the driver that rear-ends another vehicle because there are limited circumstances where the driver who is struck from behind caused the accident, but it is possible under some circumstances for the driver who is hit from behind to be at fault in a rear-end accident. In a lawsuit for injuries in an accident like this, fault also may be apportioned between the drivers.
When passengers are injured in a rear-end accident, they may have a right to financial recover for their injuries. If you or a family member have been injured in a rear-end accident, you should seek the counsel of a skilled, experienced Missouri car accident attorney who can help you evaluate your case and determine whether you have a right to financial recovery.
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