What Causes Auto Accidents?
You or someone you care about was injured in an auto accident. You’re entitled to compensation for your loss. But, before filing an action, it’s essential to understand the reasons for why accidents occur and what you can do to prevent them in the future.
best car crash lawyer accidents can be caused by a mixture of factors. This includes drivers, vehicles, and environmental conditions.
1. Drunk Driving
Driving under the influence is illegal in all 50 states. It can result in serious injuries or even death in a car accident. It’s dangerous for passengers and drivers of the car as well as cyclists or pedestrians.
Your driving abilities and reaction time can be affected by alcohol in your bloodstream, especially when you consume a large amount of alcohol in a short time. Your decision-making and coordination skills are impaired, meaning you’re unable to react quickly to the traffic conditions or other vehicles on the road.
Drinking alcohol can cause memory blurs (also called blackouts). This means that your brain doesn’t transfer information from short-term memories to long-term ones, and you may forget important details 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 result from drivers with blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) higher than the legal limit of 0.08 percent. The majority of those who die in crashes involving alcohol are adults, but children can also sustain serious injuries or even die when the driver is under the influence.
Younger drivers are at a higher risk of committing an DUI than older adults because they are more prone to binge drinking. This is when you drink excessively alcohol over an extended period of time and may be more common among college students and young professionals who are used to social events where they can easily consume alcohol.
You can make a personal injury claim to obtain compensation for injuries sustained in an accident involving an impaired driver. A skilled lawyer can assist you to get the money you need. You’ll need evidence of negligence on its own and prove that the drunk driver was responsible for your losses. The next step is to show evidence of intoxication by the drunk driver, such as eyewitness testimony, as well as accident reconstruction.
2. Speeding
Speeding is one of most frequently observed driver actions that can lead to auto accidents. It also can cause thousands of deaths every year.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that nearly three-quarters of fatal auto crashes involve speeding. The issue with speeding is that it is difficult to control your vehicle at the speed you are traveling at and makes you more susceptible to getting into an accident.
Moreover, speeds that are too rapid for the circumstances can make other driver mistakes worse, such as driving too close or when fatigued. This is why speeding typically is seen in rural areas, where the road conditions are less suitable for safe driving than in urban settings.
If you’re accused of speeding, it is possible to convince the judge that you’ve been driving safely considering the conditions on the day. In certain states, like Texas, there is a system called “presumed speed limit violations,” which allows the court decide if your speed is acceptable in 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. Additionally, your ability to demonstrate that you were in a crisis situation or were unable to slow down because of weather or traffic conditions can aid in avoiding the charge.
Although speeding isn’t something that everyone should do however, it does happen. Young drivers are at greater risk than older drivers because they are more likely be arrested for speeding. Luckily, many states have a range of devices that can help them catch those drivers who are caught in the act.
3. Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is the state where a driver’s attention is diverted from driving. These distractions could be visual, cognitive or manual. Examples include talking on a mobile phone or texting, reading, eating or listening to the radio using the navigation system, or conversing with passengers.
These distractions can cause drivers to lose focus on the road and could be dangerous. They also increase the chance that the driver won’t be able to react in time to avoid a crash or even be aware of a potential problem.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that distracted driving is the cause of a multitude of car accident lawyers no injury crashes and deaths every year. Drivers could save hundreds of thousands of lives every year by focusing less.
Despite the fact that states have laws that prohibit the use of cell phones and other electronic devices while driving, many drivers continue to use them. In a study conducted by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety researchers, they found that drivers who looked at their phones or distracted for more than two seconds increased their risk of being in a crash.
The use of cell phones is the most frequently used distraction. However other activities like drinking coffee, chatting with people in the car accident attorney, eating, looking out the window, observing children in the back seat, and observing them can also lead to accidents. Teen drivers are at a higher risk of becoming distracted behind the driving.
4. Failure to Yield
Drivers who fail to yield their right-of-way could cause serious injuries or even death by failing to yield their right-of-way. 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 approach an intersection either a stop sign or stop sign. Drivers must also yield to pedestrians who are crossing streets outside of a crosswalk.
Failure to yield could lead to a collision between two vehicles or an accident with pedestrians. pedestrians are often injured in these accidents as they do not have the same protections that vehicles do.
Depending on the speed and the weight of the vehicle, failure to yield collisions could result in serious physical injuries. These injuries may include broken bones and spinal injuries, as well as lacerations or other serious injuries.
The National Safety Council estimates that failure to yield accidents make up 15% of fatal traffic accidents. This is a substantial percentage to be taken into consideration when evaluating the safety of driving.
Drivers who do not yield could be accused of a traffic offense that can affect their license, insurance, or employment. An attorney car accident near me can help to understand your legal options if you’re ticketed for not to yield.
Lowney Law, LLC can help you file an action for compensation in the event of the driver’s failure to yield to traffic accident. We will look over all evidence and facts to determine who was negligent. We will then make a strong case for you.
5. Side-Impact Collisions
Side-impact collisions are also known by T-bone and broadside crashes are the most deadly type of auto accident. They occur when one vehicle collides with another from the side, leading to grave injuries and, often, death.
These crashes can be caused by various reasons, such as distracted driving or failing to yield. These types of collisions can also be caused by malfunctioning traffic signals or poor weather conditions that cause vision impairment or increases the stopping distance.
Although seatbelts and other safety devices have been improved their effectiveness, they do not offer enough protection against side-impact collisions. In addition the space between the occupant and other vehicles in these kinds of accidents is not as much as when head-on or rear-end collisions occur, leaving a wide opening for death or injury to occur.
Side-impact collisions with cars can cause injuries, such as broken bones, cuts, and bleeding. Chest injuries are also common, including rib fractures and internal bleeding.
Accident victims who suffer from side-impacts often do not get examined or seek medical attention. This can lead to chronic symptoms, like concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
In addition it is crucial to be aware that these accidents are particularly dangerous for children and the elderly. These crashes can cause damage to the aorta, and other serious complications that can cause death. In these instances, it is crucial to seek legal advice from an experienced auto accident lawyer as soon as you can after the accident has occurred to protect your rights and ensure that you get the compensation you’re entitled to for your losses.