If a negligent driver seriously injured you or a loved one, your path forward is anything but clear. The insurance company may be pushing you to accept a quick settlement, bills are piling up, and returning to work could be out of the question, at least for now and maybe forever.
At Caddell Reynolds Law Firm, we get it. Our Arkansas motor vehicle accident attorneys have successfully represented thousands of clients across Arkansas, southern Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma, taking on powerful insurance companies and securing tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on their behalf. Backed by more than 100 years of combined legal experience, our team is well-positioned to handle even the most challenging cases, including those involving:
- Car Wreck
- Commercial Truck Wrecks
- Motorcycle Wrecks
- Pedestrian Wrecks
- Bicycle Crashes
- Rideshare Wrecks
- Bus Wrecks
- Train Wrecks
If you or someone close to you is recovering from a motor vehicle crash, don’t go it alone. Contact Caddell Reynolds today for a free case review, and learn how our experienced Arkansas accident lawyer can help you get on the path to rebuilding your life.
Do You Have a Motor Vehicle Collision Case?
Negligence is at the root of most personal injury claims, including those that involve motor vehicle wrecks.
Negligence occurs when an individual or entity fails to exercise the level of care that a reasonable person would under similar circumstances, resulting in harm to another. When negligent actions or inaction cause a car crash, the laws of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma allow injured victims and their families to hold the at-fault party liable for their resulting losses.
A successful motor vehicle case based on negligence must establish four key elements:
- Duty of Care: Every driver is legally obligated to operate their vehicle safely and follow the rules of the road.
- Breach of Duty: A driver breaches that duty by speeding, driving distracted, failing to yield, ignoring traffic signals, or getting behind the wheel impaired. These are choices that put others at risk.
- Causation: It must be shown that the driver’s actions directly caused the crash and the injuries that followed. We work to establish exactly how the collision occurred, where the vehicles were positioned, and what happened in the moments leading up to impact.
- Damages: Finally, we prove a direct connection between your injuries and the damages you’ve incurred, including your medical bills, your lost income, and all the ways the injuries have changed your daily life.
When our Arkansas motor vehicle accident attorneys get involved, they begin working from day one to build a strong case that clearly proves exactly how a crash happened, how it could and should have been prevented, and precisely who is to blame.
Who’s at Fault for My Injuries?
Determining who’s at fault for a motor vehicle crash isn’t always straightforward. While some crashes are triggered by a single driver’s negligence, multiple parties may have also contributed to a wreck or acted in a way that worsened the outcome.
Who might be responsible for the injuries you suffered in a crash?
- Other drivers: One or more drivers may be liable if they were speeding, impaired, or engaged in other unsafe driving behavior.
- Trucking companies and other commercial carriers: When a crash involves a truck or other commercial vehicle, liability may extend to the company for issues such as fatigue, unsafe driving practices, inadequate training, or poor vehicle maintenance.
- The vehicle owner: An owner may be at fault if they allowed an unsafe, unlicensed, or impaired driver to operate their vehicle.
- Bars, restaurants, and social hosts: Arkansas and Oklahoma extend liability to retail establishments that overserve a clearly intoxicated driver or a minor under the legal drinking age. In Arkansas, social hosts may also be held liable for serving alcohol to minors.
- Rideshare companies: A rideshare company like Uber or Lyft may be liable if a crash occurs while the driver is logged into the app, and either transporting or on the way to pick up a passenger.
- Vehicle or parts manufacturers: A manufacturer may be responsible when a defective component, such as brakes, tires, airbags, or steering systems, contributes to a crash or worsens injuries.
- Mechanics or repair shops: A repair shop may be at fault when negligent maintenance or improper repairs leave a vehicle unsafe to operate.
- Government entities or contractors: Liability may arise when unsafe road design, missing signage, malfunctioning signals, or dangerous work-zone conditions contribute to a collision.
Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma all have versions of comparative fault laws on the books that apportion liability when more than one party is to blame for a crash. Under these laws, each at-fault party can be required to pay a percentage of an injured victim’s damages based on their portion of liability. If an injured victim also shares fault for a wreck, any compensation they receive will be reduced by their percentage of fault, in accordance with the laws of the state where the crash occurred.
Insurance companies often try to shift blame to injured victims to reduce their payouts. Rest assured, if they attempt to misuse comparative fault to escape their responsibility, our Arkansas motor vehicle accident attorneys will push back aggressively to ensure fault is not unfairly placed on you.
