More often than not, the last thing you care about after getting into a car accident is thinking who was behind the wheel. You just want the compensation for any injuries or damages caused by the accident. Regardless of who the person was as long as they were the one responsible. But sometimes, it can make a huge difference to how your case will move forward. So what happens if you were hit by a government employee? In this article we will explain government liability in car accidents.
Are the Laws Different When a Government Employee Is Involved in a Car Accident?
Generally speaking, if a person who is a regular citizen, is not employed by any government and is driving a car with a normal license plate gets into an accident. They will be held liable for the damages and injures if they were at fault. The court will likely order the person at fault to pay for the damages through their insurance. Or from their own savings if their insurance doesn’t cover the amount required. This means everything from doctors and hospitals bills, damage of property, lost wages and even the emotional pain and suffering caused due to the accident.
However, things can be slightly different when the person at fault is a government official or employee. This time, the scenario is almost the same, aside from the fact that the person at fault was driving a government vehicle with a government license plate. This includes employees like mail carriers, ambulance drivers, firefighters, police officers as well as any sort of city workers.
In this case however, the victim of the accident will have to pay for their own damages. Even if the government employee was fully responsible for the accident and the subsequent damages.
How Does That Work?
The drivers that are employed by the government are protected with government immunity. This allows them to forgo any lawsuit and leave the victim to deal with their damages themselves.
However, there are special cases where they might be held responsible and be required to pay for some damages. But chances of government employees compensating the entire damage is next to nil.
Even though it is possible for the government employee to pay you the damages. It is still a very unlikely situation to take place. The victim has to have a very strong case and it would still be extremely difficult to recover damages from government liability.
So How to Win Against the Government Employee?
As stated earlier, it is difficult to get you compensation from a government employee. But it is possible. The first steps you need to take after an accident with a government employee are the same as you would take after a regular accident. You need to document the accident as much as possible. And gather all the possible proofs to hold them responsible for the accident.
Government liability in car accidents | Attorney Javier Marcos
After the police report is made. You need to hire a good attorney that will help you build a strong case. Attorney Javier Marcos is a good option to consider if your accident took place within Houston. Not only do they specialize in car accidents, they also provide a 24-Hour free consultation that you can consider before hiring them. And you don’t have to pay them unless you win the case.
Español- Responsabilidad del gobierno en accidentes automovilisticos
Responsabilidad del gobierno en accidentes automovilísticos | Abogado Javier Marcos
