When your (as the driver) line of sight becomes blocked, you won’t be able to see other vehicles, pedestrians or motorists you share the road with, which increases the risk of a line of sight accident. If you were ever in a car accident like this, you might be eligible to recover the damages caused by it. Pursuing a legal claim could be tedious, time consuming and complicated, so it’s best that you first consult with an auto accident attorney.
What makes line of sight accidents so dangerous?
When a physical object blocks or interferes with the driver’s line of sight, there’s a high risk of a line-of-sight accident. This interference really makes it difficult for the driver to see others in traffic, and for others to see the driver. A good example is when you fail to see a STOP sign because it was blocked by a tree.
Other objects, such as construction signage or materials, can also obstruct the driver’s line of sight. And as he’s puling out onto a busy street, he cannot have a good view of the corners, sidewalks and could cause an accident.
In order to minimize the risk of an accident, the driver should proceed cautiously and exercise extra care when their view of the road is blocked or limited by other objects or vehicles. If not, they could be liable for damages that they caused.
Line of sight accident and potential liability
In a line of sight accident, there can be more than one at fault party. To determine liability, there are a number of factors we need to consider. Parties that you can pursue legal claim against may include:
City or government – If the line of sight accident was caused by an object, which is under the maintenance of the city/government, they could be held liable if they failed in maintenance. Keep in mind that the filing deadline for these claims is shorter, so make sure that you work with an experienced lawyer who will be able to take care of everything in time.
Property owner – It’s the duty of the property owner or manager to maintain safe conditions at their property. This includes trees, hedges, signs, posts, poles and fences. The property owner needs to make sure that none of these objects block or interfere with the driver’s line of sight. Failing to do so, the property owner could be held responsible for a potential line of sight accident.
Another driver – The driver that hit you in a line of sight accident was supposed to practice safe driving in order to avoid said accident. Now, even though the view of that driver was blocked by another object, that doesn’t absolve him/her of the duty to drive safely. However, when the accident involves two vehicles, it might be that both drivers could be liable for the accident.
Compensation available
If you were injured in a line of sight accident, you might be eligible to recover past and future damages. With these types of accidents, you could receive compensation for the following damages:
- Medical expenses
- Lost earning capacity – if the injuries force you to switch to a lower paying job
- Lost wages – If you have to stop working while you recover from your injuries
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral and burial costs
Arizona’s statute of limitations sets a time limit to take legal action in case of car accident. In some US states you have 4 years to take legal action, while in Arizona, the statute of limitations is 2 years.
If you or your loved one were involved in a line of sight accident, make sure that you contact our car accident attorneys so we could represent you and fight for the compensation that you’re owed.
