If you are in a car crash, it may be upsetting to hear the incident called an accident. Is it really an accident if someone is negligent on the road and causes a crash? You are suffering because someone drove negligently. Maybe the at-fault person was drunk, texting or drowsy behind the wheel; the cause was negligence, not an accident.
There are times when car accidents are just that, accidents. Maybe a malfunction occurred or there was an issue with the car the driver could not control. However, if a person gets behind the wheel drunk, then the crash is simply not an accident.
Motor Vehicle Collision: Is It A Car Crash or Car Accident?
According to the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, calling a crash an accident implies that something outside the people involved caused the collision. The outside factor could be something like God or a higher being, even though human error was the real problem.
In 2015, it was found that deadly crashes rose by close to 8 percent, leading to around 38,000 people passing away. Although those incidents can be called accidents, the semantics of the word downplays the real seriousness of the situation. An accident implies that no one is at fault. The fact is that someone is at fault and made a mistake costing another person a loss. Many states agree with this change and have changed legislation to call crashes collisions instead of mere accidents.
If you are in a car crash because of anther person’s negligence, you may need to pursue claims against the at-fault party. Ensure to use the term ‘car crash’ when discussing your case to properly describe the incident.
The Merdes Law Firm has been helping injured Alaskans for more than 30 years. It’s who we are. And while we hope you never need us … We’re here if you do. ~ Ward Merdes
Source: The New York Times, “It’s No Accident: Advocates Want to Speak of Car ‘Crashes’ Instead“
