Personal negligence, or the failure by someone to do something reasonably expected of them, results in many accidents and injuries each year in Virginia. Sometimes, people are unaware that their injury is the result of someone being negligent in the eyes of the law. It is helpful to know some scenarios where negligence might come into play.
Here are three examples of things that might occur due to personal negligence in Virginia.
1. Dog bites
When a dog bites someone, it can be easy to blame the person bitten and say that they must have done something to provoke the canine. This is especially true if the dog is generally well-behaved. However, dogs can bite for many different reasons, and it is the responsibility of the owner to help ensure that that does not happen to an unsuspecting person. If a dog becomes loose and attacks someone, for instance, it could be a sign of a negligent owner.
2. Slip and fall accidents
If a resident or business owner neglects to maintain their sidewalks in icy conditions, they can be at fault for someone slipping and falling on that surface.
3. Automobile accidents
Automobile accidents have many causes, and sometimes no driver is at fault for the crash. However, when a crash results from someone not paying attention, that may be a case of a negligent motorist. Law enforcement officers generally consider people who are texting while driving or who are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of an accident to be at least partly at fault for the accident.
It is helpful to be aware of the things that can result from personal negligence in order to avoid them in the future.
