At-Fault Drivers Who Lie

At-fault drivers who lie do so because they do not want to be financially liable for injuries, vehicle damage, and other accident-related costs. Honesty can be expensive, even when it’s the right thing to do. All too often, the other driver will need to take serious action to prove innocence. The following are some common reasons that at-fault drivers lie, and what steps can be taken to bring the truth to light.

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Common Lies by At-Fault Drivers

Drivers who cause accidents have been known to deny culpability and shift blame. Their goal is to pursue the police, the insurance companies, and even the court system, of their version of the truth. Purposefully lying to the police is criminal fraud, but often, false claims are included in official reports. Drivers may lie to deny that they were:

• Texting while driving
• Talking on their phone
• Under the influence of alcohol
• Sleepy
• Speeding which caused the accident

Establishing Negligence

To dispute a false claim by a driver, it must be established that the car or pedestrian accident was caused by their negligence. The components to negligence claims include the duty of care and causation.

Duty of Care

Drivers have a legal obligation to drive in ways that are not potentially harmful. Everyone driving a vehicle has a basic duty to drive responsibly and follow all laws and regulations. Driving in a negligent manner is a breach of the duty of care. Breaches can include distracted driving, or speeding, or any other failure that results in an accident.

Causation

A driver’s breach of duty must be determined to be the cause of damages to prevailing in a negligent car accident case. This holds true even if the breach caused damage indirectly.

Proving Fault

The following measures can help foil a fabricator’s story:

• Witness Statements — Neutral witness statements can refute an at-fault driver who is lying.  Their very neutrality inspires belief.
• Physical Evidence — Physical evidence can prove that an at-fault driver is lying.  This evidence is real, and uncompromisable. Dash cams are an excellent way of proving someone else’s negligence. 
• Police Report — Police reports contain the accounts of both drivers, but the truthful version, on record, is critical. A clear accident report should be made as soon as possible.

Negligent drivers can also be careless with the truth. Unfortunately, at-fault drivers who lie may never admit responsibility.  This holds true, even when they are confronted with factual evidence. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to negligence, call an experienced Las Vegas car accident attorney at Cogburn Law today for a free case consultation at (702) 747-6000.

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