When police arrive at the scene of a crash, their first priority is to provide assistance to the individuals involved. Once that task is completed with the help of other first responders, they can turn their attention to the cause of the accident in order to make a determination of fault. Depending on the situation, this may not be an easy task in some vehicle accidents.
For example, police here in Ohio recently responded to a crash involving a passenger car and an 18-wheeler. Upon arrival, they found two people trapped in the wreckage of the passenger vehicle. The first priority was to free those individuals and provide them with medical attention. It turned out that both suffered severe injuries and were flown to the hospital where they remained in critical condition at last report.
Once the investigation at the scene began, it was discovered that the southbound big rig was turning when it collided with the northbound passenger car. The preliminary reports indicate that witnesses believe the answer lies in determining which vehicle had a yellow or red light at the time of the crash. It could take some time to figure out whether one of the drivers failed to obey the traffic light.
In the meantime, the two injured victims could face a long road to recovery. During that time, they will undoubtedly incur significant financial losses for which they could seek restitution. Determining the cause of the accident could affect the outcome of any personal injury claims filed by the victims. Certainly, the passenger in the car could file a lawsuit in an Ohio civil court against one or both of the drivers. Just like in other vehicle accidents, whether the injured driver of the car could do the same would depend on the gathered evidence.
