Accidents may seem random, but they can actually all be traced back to four main factors, which are found in almost every crash. These factors, in no particular order, are:

— The design of the road system– Equipment failure in the vehicle– Poor maintenance along the roadway– Human error and driver behavior

It’s important to note that the most common one off of that list is, by far, human error. In fact, it’s been said that driver behavior contributes to an incredible 95 percent of all crashes, though this is sometimes paired with other reasons.

For instance, the road may have a poor design with too sharp of a corner, but a driver may not be paying attention as he or she sends a text message. This results in the driver hitting that sharp curve at a far higher speed than is advisable, leading to an accident. While the road’s design can be blamed, this type of accident also falls on the driver.

Sometimes, equipment failure is also the fault of the driver of not maintaining the car well enough. For instance, drivers have to know when their brake pads have worn out and when to change them. If the pads wear down to nothing, the brakes may fail while the driver is trying to stop at a light. Though the driver may not know it at the time, this is still his or her fault for driving the car without upkeep until the machine was bound to fail.

No matter why an accident in New Jersey happens, you want to look into your rights to compensation if it was not your fault.

Source: SmartMotorist.com, “What Causes Car Accidents?,” accessed April. 29, 2015