Are there parties other than the at-fault driver against whom I can take legal action?

A: If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, there may be parties other than the at-fault driver who share responsibility for what happened. If the accident occurred because the other driver was drunk, and a business served alcohol to the visibly intoxicated driver before the accident, your state’s dram shop law may allow you to hold the business liable; this varies from state to state. If a defect in one of the autos caused or worsened the accident, the vehicle manufacturer may be responsible for the injuries that resulted. Or a third party may have left debris in the road or caused one of the drivers involved in the accident to undertake a risky driving maneuver to avoid collision. We have even represented clients who were injured when the local town or even the State failed to construct a guardrail that would have prevented the accident from happening.  Finally, if the owner of the car driven by the at-fault driver negligently allowed the driver to use the car, the owner may be liable, too.  This is usually the case when the person driving the car was drunk and the owner of the car knew it.  In short, it is the job of the personal injury attorney, with his years of experience, to indentify any and all potential culpable parties.