Accidents are a broad category of incidents that may result in personal injuries or property damage. Personal injury refers to an injury to a person’s body—also known as bodily injury—or to their mind or emotional well-being—also referred to as emotional distress. Property damage refers to damage to any kind of real property (real estate) or personal property (all property that is not real estate).

Accidents usually refer to incidents caused by someone else’s negligence rather than by their intentional act. Claims for personal injuries or property damage resulting from an accident or negligent act of another person or entity may create legal liability if the person injured in the accident can prove another person or entity breached their duty of ordinary care in the activity that led to the accident (driving a tractor-trailer vehicle, for example) and that negligence or breach of the duty of ordinary care caused personal injuries or property damage to the claimant.

Legal claims for personal injuries and property damage resulting from accidents are primarily a matter of state law and may be located (1) in the state’s court opinions—also known as cases, case law, or common law—such as for the elements of a negligence claim; or (2) in the state’s statutes when the state legislature has defined the standards for the safe operation of tractor-trailer vehicles on public roadways—such as statutes that prohibit the operation of a tractor-trailer without the proper license or while intoxicated.

If the operator of a tractor-trailer vehicle violates a statute by speeding, failing to yield a right of way, or operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI/DWI), for example, and the violation of the statute is the primary (proximate) cause of another person’s personal injuries or property damage, the mere violation of the statute may be negligence—known as negligence per se (pronounced “Pur-say”).

In that case, the person or persons who suffered personal injuries or property damage may not have to prove the tractor-trailer operator was negligent in any other way to prove the operator’s liability for the accident.

In Iowa, accidents that result in personal injuries or property damage due to someone else's negligence can lead to legal liability. To establish liability, the injured party must demonstrate that the other person or entity failed to exercise ordinary care, and this failure caused the injury or damage. This is often rooted in common law as established by court opinions, but can also be based on state statutes that set safety standards, such as those governing the operation of tractor-trailer vehicles. If a tractor-trailer operator violates a traffic law, such as speeding or DUI/DWI, and this violation directly causes an accident, this may constitute 'negligence per se'. In such cases, the injured party may not need to provide additional proof of negligence to establish the operator's liability. It's important to note that personal injury and property damage claims are subject to Iowa's statute of limitations, which sets a deadline for filing a lawsuit. Therefore, it is advisable to consult with an attorney promptly after an accident to ensure that legal rights are protected and any claims are filed within the required timeframes.