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There are often multiple factors that contribute to an auto accident. Drunk drivers, negligent drivers, and reckless or dangerous driving habits are often to blame for serious injury accidents. If you are injured in a car accident, it is imperative that you secure legal representation from an experienced lawyer to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve from the at-fault party.
One of the top causes of all vehicular accidents is distracted driving. Every driver has an absolute responsibility to remain focused on the road. A distracted driver can lose track of their surroundings and other vehicles in the vicinity, placing other drivers in serious danger. Common types of distracted driving include:
Cell phone use while driving is the most dangerous form of distracted driving, as it takes the driver’s eyes, hands, and attention off of the situation at hand. Texting while driving accidents are especially dangerous and completely preventable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explains that drivers are 23 percent more likely to get involved in a car accident if they text and drive.
Drunk driving or operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs can be another major cause of accidents. Drugs and alcohol impair an individual’s reflexes, motor skills, reaction time, and decision-making ability, placing all other individuals in immediate danger.
Drunk drivers pose a threat to all other drivers and pedestrians on the road. Missouri crash data compiled by the Missouri State Highway Patrol indicates that alcohol was a factor in over 6,000 motor vehicle collisions in the state in 2011. Every year, over 10,000 people die because of drunk drivers.
A reckless driver is a dangerous driver. Speeding and a general disregard for the other vehicles on the road can have disastrous consequences, including life-threatening injuries and even death. Switching lanes without warning, turning without signaling, running stop signs and stoplights, tailgating, and overall aggressiveness are all leading causes of accidents.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Statistical Analysis Center, speeding was a factor in 23,908 auto accidents in 2011. Although this number is at the lowest it has ever been, this is still an incredibly high number of avoidable accidents.
Rain, snow, sleet, ice, fog, and wind can all have an adverse effect on those operating vehicles. Rain and fog can obscure a driver’s view, making it hard to keep track of the other vehicles on the road as well as the road itself. Wet conditions can cause a driver to lose control of his or her vehicle.
Snow and ice can severely cut down on a vehicle’s traction, making sudden stops and sharp turns exceedingly dangerous. Statistics show that drivers who do not wear seatbelts while driving in poor weather conditions make up the majority of those injured and killed in weather-related car accidents.
Regardless of the specific cause of your accident, our experienced St. Louis car accident attorneys can assist you and your family in seeking proper compensation. Over the past six decades, our team at Goldblatt Singer has recovered more than $400 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients. To learn how we can help you pursue justice, contact our St. Louis car accident lawyers today or read more about the kind of car accident cases we represent.