Car Accident Frequency
A car crash occurs every four minutes on our state’s roads, as reported by the Virginia Highway Safety Office. In too many cases, these incidents are not actually “accidents.” They are the results of negligent, reckless acts by careless people. All drivers need to be held accountable and all victims deserve full and fair compensation for their injuries.
Driving is as dangerous as ever. Statistics show that more than 120,000 crashes occurred on our streets and highways, including nearly 5,000. These wrecks resulted in 764 deaths and 63,382 injuries. Why? That’s a good question. The answer is complex. The main factor behind car accidents is negligence. Many drivers fail to fulfill a duty of care that they owe to others on the road.
Car Accident Causes
Negligent driving can take many different forms, including the following:
- Speeding – Speed plays a role in nearly 25,000 Virginia wrecks each year, statistics show. Breaking the speed limit and causing an accident is automatically deemed negligence. But other types of speeding are dangerous too. For instance, a person may drive too fast in conditions such as rain, fog, ice, sleet, snow or smoke.
- Reckless Driving – A driver clearly shows no regard for others’ safety when they zoom through a red light or stop sign at an intersection, make dangerous passes on two-lane roads or race other cars on the road.
- Drunk Driving – Today, we have strong anti-drunk driving laws, heavy law enforcement and heightened public awareness campaigns, including many that our state participates in. Still, drunk drivers continue to cause accidents. Last year alone, nearly 8,500 alcohol-related crashes occurred in Virginia. Many of these involved drivers with blood-alcohol content (BAC) above the legal limit of 0.08. But driving after even one drink is unsafe.
- Drugged Driving – Just as serious as drunk driving is the problem of people getting behind the wheel after consuming illegal drugs or prescription drugs. These substances impair one’s ability to safely operate a vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drug use among fatally injured drivers jumped by 13 percent during a recent three-year period.
- Distracted Driving – Distracted driving is one of the top causes of car accidents. Talking on a cell phone and texting while driving cause a rising number of car accidents across the U.S. In fact, the NHTSA says that distracted driving kills 5,500 and injures 450,000 nationally each year
- Fatigued Driving – Drowsy driving causes many car crashes in Virginia each year. The NHTSA says that nearly 56,000 sleep-related car crashes occur annually. They cause nearly 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths. Fatigued driving isn’t just falling asleep at the wheel. It is also very tiring that a person lacks the alertness needed to drive safely.
- Another form of carelessness is driving without any insurance coverage. When a driver causes an accident without any coverage or lacks coverage that can pay for the full extent of a victim’s injuries, one may need to turn to their own insurance company to recover under an uninsured / underinsured (UM / UIM) policy.
Legal Representation
Insurance representatives are protecting their own companies by minimizing the amounts paid out in accident claims. With seasoned car accident lawyers on your side, you have dedicated legal lawyers to protect your rights and actively pursue the maximum compensation you are entitled to receive.
A professional car accident legal firm like MartinWren, P.C can help determine what caused your accident and who was at fault. The professional legal firms work with forensic engineers to prove fault and with medical professionals to establish the full extent of the injuries you have suffered.
For all your car accident claims, contact your local legal firm.