Accident Info
Your one stop resource for information on vehicular accidents.
Legal Help You Can Get When in an Auto Accident
Being involved in an accident is never a pleasant experience. It can be any type of incident, from a Sherman truck accident, which you can seek the legal assistance from Sherman, Texas attorneys like Nix, Hoover & Kreck, a watercraft accident, as well as one of the many various forms of auto accidents such as fender benders and rear end collisions. Bad experiences come in all different forms. If you ever are in an accident, the first few things that need to be done are to assess if anyone involved in the accident needs medical attention, then dial 911 to call for an ambulance and to contact the police for assistance. If the accident happens out on the water, you will need to notify the local water patrol or the Coast Guard if assistance is required.
If the accident happens in New Mexico, you’ll be able to get exceptional legal help from an Albuquerque auto accident attorney. This person is a licensed New Mexico lawyer who can provide you with the legal advice and representation you need anywhere in the state. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you might need an experienced maritime law lawyer like The Young Firm or maybe an auto accident attorney. A New Mexico lawyer like Berenson & Associates, PC knows and practices both the state and the local laws that apply in the jurisdiction where the accident occurred just as much as a Louisiana lawyer can.
An experienced auto accident lawyer from the Law Office of Benjamin Hancock will analyze the merits of your case based on a number of factors such as police reports, pictures of the accident scene, medical reports and any witness statements. Your Albuquerque attorney can act on your behalf with all of the parties connected with the accident, to include the other party’s insurance company and attorney.
When you are the victim of someone else’s negligence, you do not need to worry about your rights regarding justice and compensation for damage to your property, lost wages or any costs you have incurred due to any personal injury. Your lawyer will calculate how much you may be entitled to receive in an effort to make you and your property whole, or as close as possible to your pre-accident condition.
Laws are continuously being amended, updated or re-written. It’s not reasonable to expect you to know when these changes occur. Being knowledgeable of all the latest laws and regulations which could impact your case is the valuable service that an accident attorney can provide to you. Don’t suffer in silence; engage a highly qualified Louisiana, New Mexico or Texas accident attorney as soon as possible following an accident.
Driving Distractions: Recognizing Risks and Finding Solutions
Driving distractions cause most auto accidents and near-accidents. According to a 2011 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distraction-related accidents account for 80% of car accidents annually, and 65% of near-accidents, in which a driver narrowly avoids a crash by last-minute action. If you are the victim of a distraction-related accident, contacting helpful attorneys like Barker, Rodems, & Cook, P.A can be extremely beneficial in recouping the many expenses of an auto accident.
Drivers can be distracted by many factors. Anything that takes a driver’s hands off the wheel and eyes off the road can cause a potentially fatal accident. Typical driver distractions include:
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o Being on the phone while driving
o Texting while driving
o Reaching for objects in the car
o Looking at objects or situations outside the car
o Reading
o Eating
o Applying makeup or other grooming tasks
Of these distractions, cell phone use and texting account for the highest number of crashes and near-misses. The NHTSA study notes that simply dialing the phone doubles the risk of a cell phone-related accident, and talking on the phone makes a driver 1.3 times more likely to have an accident than a non-distracted driver.
Although cell phone conversations raise accident risks, texting while driving poses the greatest risk of distraction. The highest risk of a distraction-related accident is linked to texting – 23 times higher than that of a non- texting driver. And while distractions can plague drivers of all ages, teen drivers are most at risk.
Since cell phones and other devices have become increasingly indispensable to modern life, the risk of distraction-related accidents is likely to remain high, and many cities have instituted public service programs to raise awareness of driving distractions, and enacted laws to eliminate the worst offenders. Bans on cell phone use while driving carry stiff penalties, and special restrictions on cell phones pertaining to teen drivers, especially new ones, aim to reduce the risk of potentially fatal crashes in that age group.
However, the most obvious solution for reducing distraction-related accidents is to educate drivers about the dangers of distractions and to take active steps to remove them: don’t text, take or make phone calls while driving, wait until the vehicle is stopped to eat or do other tasks, and keep attention focused on the road while you’re behind the wheel.
Auto Accidents that Require Legal Representation
Car accidents are certainly not all the same. You generally hear about fender benders on the interstate in the mornings during your commute. Unfortunately accidents do happen, but when car accidents happen as a result of reckless and negligent behavior, you may have a legal case.
While there are no guarantees to compensation, after an auto accident you’ll want to contact an Albuquerque auto accident lawyer to review your case. If your accident was a result of recklessness, you may have a legal case. Here are some examples of reckless or negligent behavior that can cause car accidents:
Speeding
While most people never admit to it, virtually everyone has sped at some point in time while driving. A “harmless” five miles over the speed limit may not seem like a big deal, but this reckless behavior can have serious consequences if it causes an auto accident. If you were injured in an accident that was determined to be the result of speeding and reckless driving, contact an Albuquerque or Santa Fe personal injury attorney. They can review your case and may be able to seek compensation for any injuries sustained due to this reckless driving.
Cell Phones
Cell phone distractions are becoming commonplace in American society. It seems everyone is always talking or texting while driving. Any use of a cell phone without a hands free device is illegal in Albuquerque and Santa Fe and is negligent behavior. While fender benders during rush hour happen, if they are the result of someone being distracted by their cell phone, this reckless behavior may be cause to seek legal representation. If you were injured in a car accident by someone using their cell phone in Albuquerque or Santa Fe, personal injury lawyers can represent you in the event of possible legal action against the reckless driver.
Driving Under the Influence
Unfortunately, driving under the influence is an epidemic in New Mexico. Despite tough DUI laws, these accidents happen frequently and with tragic results. Albuquerque and Santa Fe personal injury attorneys can represent you if you’ve been injured as a result of a DUI car accident. DUI is one of the most extreme examples of recklessness and negligence and if you’ve been injured in one of these accidents, a personal injury attorney can review your case and may be able to seek legal compensation on your behalf for medical bills and pain and suffering.
No single auto accident is like any other. With some accidents, there is no legal recourse because some auto accidents are just that. But if further investigation reveals the accident was a result of someone else’s recklessness and negligence, an Albuquerque auto accident lawyer can represent your interest and try to win compensation for your injuries, medical bills, and pain and suffering.
Steps To Take Following a Car Accident
An unfortunate reality in life is that everyone, at some point, is involved in an auto accident. Those first moments after an accident are crucial to your health and well-being. Unfortunately, after an accident everyone involved is probably not thinking as clearly as they should. This blog post will provide a basic list of steps you should take after an auto accident.
After being involved in an accident, your adrenaline will be racing and your nerves will be frayed. The following tips are some common sense tips, but also wise advice to keep in mind following an accident:
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Safety First
: Stop your vehicle. If at all possible, move your vehicle out of traffic lanes and to the side of the road. When your vehicle is secure, check for injuries among yourself and passengers. If you or any passengers are injured, do not move. Dial 911 immediately and wait for an ambulance. If you are uninjured and it is safe to do so, check on the other driver(s) and again dial 911 if there are any injuries.
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Exchange Information
: You’ll want to call the police for a police report, but before they arrive, you’ll also want to exchange information with the other driver. Albuquerque and Santa Fe car accident attorneys may recommend you exchange the following information: full name, address, phone number, insurance information (including company, policy number, and expiration date), driver’s license number, license plate number, and the make, model, and year of the other person’s vehicle.
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Take Notes
: If later you must contact an Albuquerque personal injury attorney as a result of your accident, you’ll want pictures, notes, and contact information for witnesses. This can help an attorney determine what kind of case you may have by being able to look at some of the initial evidence.
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Inform Your Insurance Company:
Your insurance company will look at your accident claim and communicate with the other driver’s insurance company. Insurance companies will generally offer you a sum of money for repairs and medical expenses. Before you settle, contact an Albuquerque or Santa Fe personal injury lawyer to review the facts of your case and ensure you’re getting a fair settlement to help you get your life back on track.
The actions you take after an auto accident are crucial. You want to ensure your safety and get immediate medical attention for any injuries. After the accident, it can take time to get your life back on track and you may need the assistance of a Santa Fe or Albuquerque personal injury lawyer to help you seek any possible compensation you may be entitled to.
SUV Rollover Information
Due to their rugged construction, size and versatility, SUVs are often a popular choice for families and adventure seekers across the country. Unfortunately, many have a false sense of security in such vehicles—not realizing that SUVs are more likely than any other vehicle to be involved in serious rollover accidents.
While rollovers are the least common type of auto accident, they are responsible for about thirty percent of all traffic fatalities. That means, when rollovers happen they are most likely to be deadly. Continue reading
Common Symptoms of Brain Injury
Brain injury occurs whenever the brain sustains trauma through direct force (i.e., making contact with an object) or indirect force (i.e., whiplash). Since traumatic brain injury can vary in degree and in the symptoms that it presents, diagnosis can be difficult.
Commons symptoms of traumatic brain injury include things like: Continue reading
When to Hire a Car Accident Attorney
Car accidents are a daily occurrence in the U.S. and affect millions of Americans every year. While minor fender benders or accidents resulting in damages less than $500 probably do not warrant the help of a car accident attorney to recover losses, you will want to think about utilizing the expertise of an accident lawyer if you are offered little or no compensation for your damages, if your damages are significant, or if you have been part of a personal injury accident. Continue reading
When You’re involved in a Car Accident with an Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist
While most states require a minimum amount of liability insurance to be carried by motorists, the Insurance Research Council’s most recent report of uninsured motorists (2001) estimates that 14 percent of the motorists in the U.S. do not carry auto accident insurance. That means that if you are involved in a car accident, there is a 1 in 7 chance that the at-fault driver is uninsured. And this does not take into account the extreme disparity between states which may make your chances of being involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist much more likely in one state than another. Continue reading
How to Choose a Car Accident Lawyer
When you have been involved in a car accident it is important to know how to choose an attorney. Very different results can occur in your case based on your choice of attorney. Therefore, when choosing an accident attorney you will want to spend some time researching who will be the best representative for your car accident claim. Continue reading
What to Expect When You are in a Car Accident
Of the almost six million car accidents that have occurred every year for the past five years in the U.S., approximately three million of those traffic accidents result in personal injuries every year (USDOT). With such a high number of accidents occurring each year, it is not unlikely that every American will experience at least one auto accident in their lifetime. Therefore, it is important to know what to do when you are involved in an accident. Continue reading