Insurers may use a number of reasons to deny a car accident claim. One reason that you may not expect is when a negligent driver’s insurer claims that the color of your car was difficult for their customer to see. But is there an actual link between car color & crash risk in Galveston, TX?
Whether you’re a resident or visitor to the area, it’s important to understand what role, if any, car color plays in crashes. A Galveston car accident lawyer from The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers can help if you get hurt in a collision. Call (409) 207-9299 to schedule a free consultation today.
How Can The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers Help After a Car Accident in Galveston?
Our family-run law firm has recovered over half a billion dollars for injured people throughout Galveston, Texas. We have over five decades of combined legal experience challenging insurers that deny accident victims’ claims.
Our Galveston personal injury lawyers can guide you through the following process when someone else’s negligence caused you to get hurt in a crash:
- Determine your best options based on the circumstances of your crash
- Investigate your case and gather evidence to support it
- Prepare an insurance claim and negotiate to settle it fairly
- Litigate your case if we cannot secure a settlement
A car accident can leave you with severe injuries and a reduced quality of life. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with a skilled Galveston car accident attorney today to find out whether you’re entitled to file a claim.
Scientific Studies About Car Color and Crash Risk
So does the color of your car actually impact your risk of experiencing an accident? A study by researchers at the University of Dayton found that car color has no statistically significant effect on crash risk. This study arose from a conflict between existing studies that found a connection between vehicle color and the likelihood of a collision, but reached conflicting conclusions.
More specifically, studies in Australia and New Zealand found that certain colors had a higher probability of being in a collision. The Australian study found that silver was among the riskiest colors, while the New Zealand study found it to be the safest.
The University of Dayton study used a different methodology than the prior studies. Instead of including the color of all cars in their analysis, the researchers only included the color of the car deemed not at fault for the crash. By focusing on the victim’s car, the researchers sought to establish which colors, if any, at-fault drivers were more likely to hit.
The results of this most recent study showed that no color was more likely to be hit in a crash. Stated differently, the odds of being hit by a negligent driver were the same for all colors.
How Color May Affect Crashes in Galveston
While researchers determined that all colors have the same crash risk under typical conditions, they acknowledged that color can affect crash risk in certain circumstances.
For example, dark cars may be more likely to be hit at night on unlit roads. However, light cars may be more likely to be hit in foggy weather. These effects may cancel each other out, leaving no overall statistical difference.
In Galveston, the other driver and their insurer may try to claim that your car was difficult to see due to the combination of its color and visibility, such as during a storm.
Liability for Texas Crashes When Visibility Is Limited
This reality raises the question, “Can the at-fault driver’s insurer shift the blame for a crash to the victim’s car color?” Your lawyer can often overcome this denial by focusing on the at-fault driver’s actions. In many situations, the driver’s carelessness, rather than your car’s color, caused the crash.
Suppose that the driver tailgated your vehicle on an east-west highway. The driver rear-ended your vehicle, but blamed your silver car for causing a blinding glare. Even though the silver paint was reflective enough to create glare, the driver’s tailgating was the cause of the crash. A reasonably cautious driver would have slowed down and left additional space.
In this way, your car’s color will rarely shift the liability from another driver’s carelessness. Instead, the court will generally focus on what the driver did to cause the crash rather than how your car’s color may have contributed.
Contact Our Galveston Car Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
A car accident can leave you facing painful injuries, mounting expenses, and uncertainty about what to do next. If another driver caused your crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses.
The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers can investigate your accident, handle the insurance company, and pursue the compensation you deserve while you focus on your recovery. Contact our Galveston car accident lawyers today to schedule a free consultation.
