20 Things You Should Be Educated About Auto Accidents
What Causes Auto Accidents?
You or someone you care about was injured in an auto accident. You are entitled to compensation for your losses. It is essential to understand the causes of these accidents as well as what you can do to avoid repeating them.
Car crashes result from a variety of elements. This includes drivers, vehicles, and environmental conditions.
1. Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is a crime in all statesand can cause auto accident lawyer accidents that cause injury or death. It's risky for drivers and passengers in the vehicle as well as cyclists or pedestrians.
The alcohol in your bloodstream can have a huge impact on your driving skills and reaction time, particularly when you drink a lot in a short time. You're impaired in your decision-making and coordination skills, which means you're not able to respond quickly enough to traffic conditions and other vehicles on the road.
In addition, drinking can trigger memory lapses, sometimes referred to as blackouts. This means that your brain can't transfer information from short-term memories to long-term ones, and you may lose important information in the event of an incident occurring during the time you're drunk.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one-third of all traffic deaths are caused by drivers who have blood alcohol levels (BAC) above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Although the majority of people who die in alcohol-related accidents are adults, children can also be seriously injured or even killed if drivers are impaired.
Due to their tendency to drink a lot, younger drivers are more susceptible of committing DUI more than older drivers. This is when you drink excessive amounts of alcohol in a short time. It is more common among college students and young professionals who attend social events where they can get alcoholic beverages.
You can bring a personal injury suit to claim compensation for injuries sustained in an accident involving the driver who is drunk. An experienced lawyer can assist you obtain the compensation you're entitled to. You'll have to prove negligence and that the drunk driver was responsible for your losses. Then, you'll have to show evidence of the drunk driver's impairment, including an eyewitness report, a police report testimony, and accident reconstruction.
2. Speeding
Speeding is one of most common driving habits that causes auto accidents. It also can cause thousands of deaths every year.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nearly three-quarters (33 percent) of fatal auto accidents are caused by speeding. Speeding can make it difficult to control your vehicle at higher speeds, traffic which makes you more prone to being in a crash.
Speeds that are not appropriate for the situation can magnify other driver mistakes like driving too fast or tired. This is why speeding is more common in rural areas where the traffic conditions are less conducive to safe driving than in urban areas.
A judge can decide that your speeding fines are justified if you can prove that you were driving safely in the circumstances. In certain states, such as Texas there's a system known as "presumed speed limit violations," which allows the court decide if your speed is reasonable given the circumstances.
Even in these situations, a judge will still need to consider whether your speed was more than the other drivers on that road. You may also be able to prove that you were in an emergency or in a position to not slow down due to traffic or weather conditions, which can assist you in getting a more favorable ticket.
Speeding isn't something anyone should do every day However, it can happen. It's particularly dangerous for young drivers, as they are more likely to be caught speeding than older drivers. Many states have tools that assist in catching these drivers.
3. Distracted driving
Distracted driving is when a driver's attention is diverted from driving. These distractions can be either manual or visual. Examples include talking on a cell phone or traffic eating, texting, reading or tuning the radio using the navigation system, and dealing with passengers.
These distractions can be dangerous because they divert a driver's mind off the road. They also increase the likelihood that the driver will not be capable of reacting in time to avoid an accident or even spot a problem in the future.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that distracted driving is the reason for tens of thousands of a multitude of car crashes and deaths each year. Drivers could save hundreds of thousands of lives every year by focusing on the road less.
Despite the fact that many people continue to use mobile phones and other electronic devices while driving despite laws in states that prohibit them and their use, they are still being used by many. A study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety researchers found that drivers who looked at their phones or distracted themselves for more than 2 seconds increased their risk of being involved in a crash.
While cell phone use may be the most prevalent source of distraction however other activities like drinking coffee and talking to passengers, eating, looking out the window, and looking after a child in the back seat can cause auto accidents too. Teen drivers in particular are more likely to be distracted while driving.
4. Failure to Yield
If a driver fails to yield the right of way, they could cause an auto accident that could result in serious injuries or death. The injured parties in an accident like this can sue to recuperate their losses and expenses.
New York law requires drivers to yield their right-of-way to other vehicles that are approaching an intersection either a stop sign or stop sign. Drivers must also yield to pedestrians who are crossing streets without a crosswalk.
A failure to yield can cause a collision between two vehicles or an accident with a pedestrian. These accidents often cause injuries to pedestrians because they don't have the same protections that vehicles.
Depending on the speed and the weight of the vehicle, failure to yield collisions can cause severe physical injuries. This could include broken bones or spinal cord injuries, lacerations, and other serious injuries.
According to the National Safety Council, 15 percent of fatal accidents are the result of failure to yield. This is an impressive percentage and should be taken into account when thinking about safety on the road.
Drivers who do not yield may be subject to a traffic infraction that could impact their license, insurance, or employment. If you've been charged for not yielding and you are unsure of your options, you should speak with an attorney who can assist you to learn about your legal options.
Failure to yield is a cause of car accident lawyers from Lowney Law, LLC can examine the circumstances surrounding your accident and make a claim for compensation on your behalf. We will look over all evidence and details to determine who was negligent. We will then bring a strong claim for you.
5. Side-Impact Collisions
Side-impact collisions, also known by T-bone and broadside crashes are the most deadly kind of auto accident. They happen when one vehicle collides with another from the side, resulting in severe injuries and often fatalities.
These crashes can be caused by many reasons, including distracted driving or a failure to yield. These types of crashes can be caused by malfunctioning traffic signals or poor weather conditions that cause vision impairment or increases the stopping distance.
While seatbelts and other safety devices have improved their effectiveness, they do not offer enough protection against collisions that cause side-impacts. Additionally, the amount of space between the occupant and other vehicles in these kinds of accidents is much less than with rear-end or head-on collisions leaving plenty of room for injury and even death to occur.
The types of injuries that can be sustained in side-impact car accidents include fractured bones, cuts, bruises, as well as injuries to the back and neck. Injuries to the chest are also common, including rib fractures and internal bleeding.
Side-impact collision victims usually delay getting examined or seek medical treatment. This can result in long-term consequences such as concussions and brain injuries that are traumatic.
In addition it is important to understand that these crashes are especially harmful to children and older people. These crashes can cause aortic damage, and other serious complications that could even result in death. In these instances it is vital to seek legal assistance from an experienced auto accident attorney as soon as possible after the accident has occurred to safeguard your rights and ensure that you can recover the compensation you're entitled to for your injuries.