Auto accidents can happen even when you have safely parked your vehicle on the side of the road. If other drivers are acting carelessly, they may collide with your parked vehicle and cause a roadside accident. While roadside accidents have a number of causes, they too often result from another driver’s negligence. If another driver has harmed you in a roadside accident, you may be able to bring a personal injury lawsuit to recover damages.
For example, a recent news story reported on an Indianapolis, Indiana roadside accident. According to state police, two troopers were investigating a crash inside a police car when a semi-truck crashed into their vehicle. Both troopers were transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
What Are the Causes of an Indiana Roadside Accident?
A roadside accident can result from several causes, many of which involve a driver’s negligence. First, a common cause of roadside accidents is distracted driving. When drivers are distracted, they may not see a vehicle parked on the side of the road until it is too late. To minimize the risk of a roadside accident, it is important to avoid talking on the phone, eating, or “multi-tasking” until you have parked safely at your destination. Roadside accidents can also result from driving under the influence (DUI). Intoxicated drivers experience significant difficulty maintaining control of their vehicles. As a result, they may veer off the side of the road and strike a parked car. Furthermore, even if drivers are not intoxicated, they may be too drowsy to operate their vehicles safely. For example, if a semi-truck driver is working a late shift, he or she may grow distracted or drive carelessly due to a lack of alertness. In addition to a driver’s negligence, roadside accidents may occur after a vehicle part malfunction, a faulty guardrail or other road equipment, or a government’s failure to maintain safe road conditions.