Impaired or distracted drivers are a well-known hazard on American roads today. Drivers may be impaired from such substances as alcohol or drugs, and drivers who are distracted by cell phones or operating the car’s radio can be just as dangerous, since their eyes are not even on the road. Even tired drivers can be a hazard, since an exhausted person’s reflexes are slowed, and they may behave similarly to a drunk driver in some respects. When an auto accident occurs, aside from road rage, there are other events that may soon follow, such as a trip to the hospital. Anything from a head-on collision to vehicle rollover to a T-bone collision can cause serious injury, and sometimes, pedestrians or bicyclists may end up the victims of impaired or distracted driving. When this happens, an auto accident attorney can be called upon.
Drivers and the Law
The United States has 218 million registered drivers, but some of them will operate on American roads drunk, under the influence of drugs, or simply distracted. On all American roads in 2015, for example, some 6.3 million crashes and other disasters caused injuries, fatalities, and property damage. Drunk driving deaths, in particular, may rise in frequency sometimes; rates in 2016 rose 1.7%. In fact, among all Americans under the age of 55, car accidents rank as the leading cause of death, and similarly, of all personal injury lawsuits, 52% are due to automobile accidents. A victim of a car accident may try to pursue a court case alone, but this can be difficult when facing a stubborn insurance company and a lack of knowledge of the law and how to navigate it. Instead, a lawyer may be called upon to help, and such a lawyer will have the skills and experience needed to carry out litigation of a court case properly.
Working With a Lawyer
Many law firms specialize particularly in auto accidents, given how common such accidents are, and many lawyers are ready to help clients who were injured in a car crash. Once an accident has happened and a victim is in the middle of recovery, he or she has several problems to face, and a personal injury attorney will know how to handle them. For one thing, the injuries sustained from a car accident may be permanent, in in this case, the financial impact can be far-reaching and difficult to calculate since the injury will prevent the person from carrying out some or all kinds of paid work. A lawyer for auto accident victims will know how to calculate this financial impact, however, and incorporate it into the court case, and it can be used to boost the compensation received.
The victim of an auto accident may also be in a very emotional state, and will probably not think in a rational or objective manner needed for a court case, with their injuries, possible loss of mobility, and their damaged car. A lawyer will be more detached, and will have the objectivity needed to see the case clearly and stick to the law. During a court case for an auto accident, the lawyer will know how to negotiate with the judge and the at-fault party’s insurance company to receive the proper compensation, and sometimes, the opposing insurance company may not even work in good faith, and may not provide some or any of the demanded compensation. If an auto accident victim faced this situation alone, it could be the end of their case, but a lawyer will know how to break through this problem and get the case moving again. And if multiple parties were involved in the auto accident, assigning blame and compensation can be even more complicated, something that a lawyer must handle.
The victim of a car accident can, as soon as he or she is fit, start researching local law firms, especially those that specialize in auto accidents, and get consultations from the lawyers there (which may or may not be free; that detail should be inquired about). The victim should find a lawyer whose skills, experience, personality, and educational background are all to the victim’s preferences and standards, and once a lawyer is found who is deemed trustworthy and cooperative, both parties can collaborate to create their case.