An important part of sharing the road is alerting other drivers to your car’s upcoming movements and maneuvers. When a driver is reversing their car, their backup light should automatically illuminate itself, but sometimes, backup lights do not light up due to manufacturing defects.
If you were involved in an accident because of defective backup signals, you might have the basis for an insurance settlement or lawsuit for financial compensation. A Birmingham defective backup signals attorney from the Morris Bart law firm can help you explore your financial recovery options.
Birmingham Defective Backup Signals FAQ
If your crash was caused by faulty signaling equipment, determining liability may be more complex than you think. When you have questions, a Birmingham defective backup signals lawyer has answers.
What Are the Backup Signal Laws in Birmingham?
Is It Illegal to Drive With No Reverse Light?
Who Is at Fault in a Car Accident When Backing Up?
Is It Your Fault if You Rear-End Someone Without Brake Lights?
What Are the Backup Signal Laws in Birmingham?
According to Ala. Code § 32-5-241, every car must have a maximum of two backup signals. They must light up every time a car moves in reverse, and they must not light up when your car is moving forward because that could potentially create confusion for the driver in the rear.
When a driver in front of you is moving in reverse for any reason, their backup signal should alert you—giving you time to stop, move out of their way, or maintain a safe distance while the other driver completes their reverse maneuver.
If you are struck by a car in reverse that has a backup signal that does not function correctly due to a defect, you may have a case to pursue compensation. Our Birmingham car accident attorney can help you.
Is It Illegal to Drive With No Reverse Light?
Federal law CFR § 571.108 requires that every vehicle operating on the road have one or two rear-mounted, rear-facing reverse lights. They should be white—no other color. It would be illegal to drive with no reverse lights.
If your vehicle is without proper, working backup signals and you thought about making a short trip without ever needing to move your vehicle in reverse, you’re risking yourself and other drivers on the road. You may not get caught, but it’s not worth endangering yourself or others.
Who Is at Fault in a Car Accident When Backing Up?
When fighting for compensation in a defective backup signals case, you must determine who the at-fault parties may be. However, malfunctioning backup signals are not the only reason that a car accident may occur when a car is backing up. Some possible reasons for backing-up accidents include:
- Speeding
- Negligence
- Failure to yield
- Malfunctioning signals
- Recklessness
Although you may assume that the backing-up car is at fault, this is not always the case. For example, the driver of the car that was moving forward during the accident may have been speeding, distracted, or under the influence, while the reversing driver may have followed all laws and safety regulations.
The at-fault party could be any driver involved in the accident, both parties, or the issue may instead be defective car backup signals.
To determine who is at fault, your car accident lawyer in Birmingham will compile evidence, which may include police reports, eyewitness accounts, and manufacturing information for the potentially defective car backup signals.
Is It Your Fault if You Rear-End Someone Without Brake Lights?
In most rear-end accident cases, the driver who rear-ends the vehicle in front of them is often at fault. But what happens if the front vehicle was decelerating and their brake lights were out? Brake lights are safety features meant to warn drivers behind a car that it is slowing down. Without that warning, the chances of a rear-end collision increase significantly.
Even with the driver in front of you operating with faulty safety features, you might be found to be partially at fault if you rear-end someone without brake lights. For example, if you were traveling beyond the posted speed limit, following too closely, or distracted by something while driving, it won’t matter if the driver in front of you had malfunctioning brake lights.
Because of Alabama’s strict contributory negligence laws, if you are found to be partially at fault for the accident, you won’t have the opportunity to pursue compensation. Attempting to handle a claim with the other driver’s insurance company then becomes incredibly challenging. You need to prove that the other driver was 100% responsible for not having working brake lights.
To save yourself the time, energy, and worry about proving fault and negligence to get the compensation you deserve, you can work with our lawyer in Birmingham for defective backup signals. Our lawyer can investigate the circumstances surrounding your case and bring in experts to reconstruct the accident to show that you had no measure of fault.
For a free legal consultation with a Defective Backup Signals Accident lawyer serving Birmingham, call (205) 380-4158
How Defective Backup Signals Can Lead to Car Accidents
If a vehicle is functioning properly, it means that all drivers on the road should be able to safely anticipate the actions that the driver will take because the driver can properly signal their actions before they make them.
By maintaining a safe distance between each vehicle, the car in the rear can stop or slow down to let the car in the front parallel park, make stops and turns, and change lanes without risk of collision.
Both passenger vehicles and large trucks are equipped with backup signals that include lights and sounds to alert other traffic to their intended actions. When the front car’s backup lights are not used correctly or do not function correctly, car accidents and injuries can happen.
How to Pursue a Product Liability or Personal Injury Claim
Proving the vehicle that was involved in your collision had a defect and assigning liability to the manufacturer are both complex actions.
When you work with our Birmingham defective backup signals attorney, they can help you identify the backup signal defect, understand the role of liability in your lawsuit, and assess the financial value of your case. Your lawyer may pursue a product liability lawsuit or a personal injury lawsuit, depending on your specific case.
Product Liability Lawsuit for Malfunctioning Backup Signals
A defective backup signals attorney can help you understand the merits and potential for a product liability lawsuit. The three scenarios that often lead to product liability lawsuits include design defects, manufacturing defects, and inadequate instructions.
Your lawsuit must be able to prove a product caused injury or death because of the way it was produced, assembled, and installed, or because it had flawed directions or instructions. An experienced lawyer from our firm will be able to determine if a product liability lawsuit is the best course of action for your specific case.
Personal Injury Lawsuit for Car Accidents Caused by Defective Car Signals
Even if a product liability lawsuit does not seem likely, you may be able to pursue damages for a personal injury case. Our personal injury lawyer will fight to prove that the other driver was at fault for the accident. Car accident cases can invoke a contributory negligence ruling or determination if someone else played any part in causing the accident.
Since personal injuries are a significant financial, physical, and emotional burden, it’s important that the at-fault party is held accountable, and the injured party receives financial compensation.
Our malfunctioning backup signals lawyer in Birmingham, Alabama can help you determine if the defective reverse light on the other driver’s car makes you eligible for financial compensation in a product liability or personal injury lawsuit.
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The Statute of Limitations for Defective Backup Signals Cases
If you want to pursue a case due to defective backup signals, you may only have a limited time in which to pursue compensation.
If you are seeking damages based on a personal injury case, you typically have two years to do so, according to Ala. Code §6-2-38. If you are going after compensation in a product liability case, you will only have two years to do so, as well.
Some exceptions could shorten this timeline. Due to the short statute of limitations, it’s important to contact a defective backup signals lawyer in Birmingham as soon as possible after the accident. You have to file a lawsuit against the defendant before the statute of limitations time limit runs out, or else you may no longer be eligible to pursue legal action in your case.
You Can Be Compensated in Birmingham, AL, for a Manufacturing Defect
If you endured a personal injury or damaged property because of a defective backup signal, you may be entitled to pursue compensation based on Ala. Code §6-5-521. This law holds designers and manufacturers financially responsible for the products they produce.
In an insurance claim or lawsuit, your lawyer is required to prove a defective product caused harm because of an inherent flaw. Your lawyer must be able to show that the rear-moving car that struck you—or that you struck because the car backup light was not working—created a risk or danger to you or others when the backup signal did not function correctly.
If you need help proving product liability contributed to the accident you were involved in, our defective backup signals lawyer in Birmingham can help you review your potential case.
What To Do After a Defective Backup Signals Car Accident
If you were hurt in a car accident caused by a defective backup signal, your first step should be seeking medical attention. A doctor can assess your injuries and give you a treatment plan that will prevent them from getting worse. Next, you should:
- Take photos and videos of the accident: Whether we decide to file an insurance claim or a lawsuit to help you recover compensation, photos and videos can help your case. These items can serve as evidence to prove that you were hurt and your vehicle was damaged.
- Call the police: After an accident, it’s important to notify the police. They will complete a police report, which can prove that you were not the cause of the accident.
- Get the contact information of the other driver: We may need to contact the other driver while we build your case.
- Contact an attorney: Our defective backup signals attorney can help you understand your next steps. We will help you get your case organized and investigate all the details of your accident.
You are not alone in your pursuit of compensation. We will help you fight for the financial recovery you need.
Get Help From Our Defective Backup Signals Accident Attorney in Birmingham Today
A Birmingham defective backup signals lawyer from our firm can help you pursue compensation for your injuries and for your damaged property. You should not have to bear the financial burden of an accident that was caused by a flaw in the at-fault driver’s vehicle’s signaling design or negligence.
If a manufacturing flaw or defect led to your accident, you may be able to hold the vehicle’s maker responsible for any financial damage the defect contributed to or directly caused.
If you or a member of your family were involved in an accident because of defective backup signals, you may have the basis for an insurance claim or lawsuit. Find out by contacting the Morris Bart law firm today. Our experienced lawyers fight for people’s rights in Birmingham, AL.
Questions?Call (205) 380-4158
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
