California Injury Blog

Alcohol is often the number one suspect in a vast majority of serious car accidents. Approximately thirty percent of all car wrecks can be attributed to alcohol in some form or fashion. The NHTSA has statistics showing that a person is killed every 31 minutes in an alcohol-related traffic accident, and that a person is injured every two minutes in accidents stemming from alcohol use. The NHTSA also believes that thirty percent of all Americans will be involved in a car wreck related to alcohol at some point in their lives.

Speeding is often another culprit in causing dangerous car accidents. When a driver is going too fast, the likelihood of losing control is greater, and the driver is less likely to be able to react to a dangerous situation. Often, as the speed of the car increases towards an accident, the severity of the accident likewise increases. Younger drivers are often especially prone to speeding, and their inexperience behind the wheel accompanied by their desire to go fast can often lead to severe wrecks that can cause untold amounts of damage, like a San Antonio car accident injury, or even loss of life.

Additionally, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of accident sites where a driver or passenger was critically injured or died as a result of simply not wearing their seat belt. Many reports throughout the years have proven time and time again that seat belt use can save lives. The NHTSA estimated that sixty percent of children who died last year in a car accident were not wearing a seat belt. An estimated 26 billion dollars per year is spent in the costs associated with taking care of those who were injured in a car wreck because they opted not to wear a seat belt. Additionally, the average inpatient cost for a person who chose not to wear a seat belt was fifty percent more than what a person who wore a seat belt in a car accident would have accrued.

Furthermore, manufacturer defects, such as bad brakes or other mechanical problems, can also contribute to car accidents. Improper maintenance of a car can also be a culprit in some cases. Manufacturers must notify their clients if a they know about a possible defect, and a driver must take good care of their cars in order to ensure their continued safe use.

While the causes of car accidents can vary widely, there are more than a few ways to help prevent them from happening, many of which are widely known but should be even more widely adopted. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive over the speed limit. Wear a seat belt. Take proper care of your car. By doing these simple tasks, you can help to ensure your own safety, as well as that of the other drivers on the road.

In the event of a car accident causing injury, an injured person may be able to seek compensation that can assist with their medical costs through a personal injury lawsuit with the help of an experienced car wreck lawyer like a Tyler auto accident attorney. In the event that a loved one has died due to the reckless driving of another person, an aggrieved family member can seek justice for their loss through a wrongful death lawsuit with the help of a fatal car accident lawsuit attorney. When considering seeking legal help, like a Corpus Christi auto accident attorney, for an auto accident resulting in injury or loss of life, be sure to ask your attorney for their qualifications in regards to prior, similar auto accident claims through which they’ve helped previous clients. Since your future financial well-being may rest on their ability to see you through to a beneficial outcome, obtaining such information prior to hiring an auto accident lawyer is an important step to take to ensure that your own best interests will be provided for through a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.