Understanding the single-car accident

Tell people you were in an accident and no other car was involved, and they may give you a dubious look. How do you get in a crash all by yourself?

There are many answers to that question, all of them involving something outside your control causing you to collide with something. These are just some scenarios:

• The truck ahead of you hits a bump and dumps its cargo right in front of you.
• Your car hits a pothole the size of Rhode Island.
• A cow gets through a fence and wanders onto the highway.
• A stop signal goes dark. You don't even see it.
• A truck passes on the left side and forces you off the road, and drives on, oblivious.
• You hit a patch of black ice and skid into a cell tower.
• Your tire blows out while you are traveling 65 mph. Turns out there was a bulge in the tread.
• A sign saying CONSTRUCTION WORK AHEAD is blown over by high winds.
• Someone heaves a rock into your windshield from a walkover bridge.

These are all real situations, and they are only a fraction of the ways single cars end up causing serious injury or even death.

Single car accidents cause several problems:

What do you do? There is no one to get insurance information from. Someone may be to blame, but they are nowhere near the accident site.

Who caused the accident? It may be the company or other entity whose negligence led to the crash. It could be the mechanic who failed to screw your lug nuts on tight. The feedlot that allowed its cow to get out. The county highway department that knew about that pothole grow but did not take action to keep you safe.

Who do you file a claim with? The answer is often your own insurance, which provides insurance for these kinds of accidents. But just because you are a policyholder does not make them want to write you a check. That's when an experienced single-car accident attorney comes in handy.

Single car accidents are serious business. You can sustain lifelong injuries when you leave the road. People suffer from brain injuries, amputations, spinal cord damage and death.

The heck with friends or colleagues who make light of your single-car misfortune. We at the Law Offices of Cliff Enten know these injuries are no joke. We will work to get you the compensation you need.