New York car accident attorneys note that assigning liability in a car accident is often difficult in most cases. However, you may not know that in the event of an accident, you may be responsible even if you aren’t driving—even if you aren’t present at the time of the accident! Below are just some of ways you can be liable for someone else’s driving in New York car accidents.
If you or a loved one was involved in a car accident that was not your fault, contact Attorney Group for New York to learn more about your options. We can answer your questions in a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation. If you with to pursue a claim, we can connect you with an affiliated personal injury attorney.
1. Lending Your Car To Your Child.
Parents often lend their car to their kids the car to run errands, travel to school and work, or to spend time with friends. However, if the minor is negligent and causes an accident, the parent may be held liable for any damages caused by the accident. When a parent lends his or her car to a child who is inexperienced and incompetent behind the wheel, it is known as negligent entrustment. Some states even require the parent to sign a document when their child is licensed agreeing to be liable for any damages caused by the minor’s negligent driving.
2. Your Employee Is Driving the Company Car.
If an employee is negligent and causes an accident, while doing work for an employer, the employer can be held responsible for the damages caused. The legal theories of vicarious liability and negligent hiring are often the bases of imputing the responsibility for an employee’s negligence to the employer. The employer can be liable even if the employee was driving his or her own car at the time of the accident. The issue is usually whether the employee was performing company work. Business owners are encouraged to consult with their insurance professional to confirm whether they have coverage for employee negligence when driving a car on company business.
3. Allowing An Unfit Driver to Drive Your Car.
If you allow any unfit driver, not just your child, to drive your car, you can be held liable for damages caused by that person’s negligence in an accident. For example, if you and a friend both have blood alcohol levels that are over the legal limit, but you allow your friend to drive your car because he or she insists that he or she is fit to drive, you can be liable for an accident that your friend causes. This is another example of how negligent entrustment can cause a non-driver to be liable for an accident.
Injured Drivers or Passengers May Be Entitled to Compensation
People who are injured in car accidents that are caused by another person’s negligence may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of income or ability to work. If a person is killed in accident caused by another’s negligence, his or her family members may be able to pursue claims for the wrongful death of a loved one. Wrongful death compensation may include medical expenses attributable to a fatal injury, pain and suffering from the loss of a loved one, and funeral expenses.
Contact Us For More Information
If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident, contact Attorney Group for New York for more information. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at the number listed at the top of the page, or email us at info@attorneygroup.com.
When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information, and contact Attorney Group for New York today.
