Category: Vehicle Accidents
March 23, 2022 / Vehicle Accidents
What to Do if Your Motorcycle Is Hit by a Car from Behind
The average motorcycle weighs just 700 pounds, and when one collides with a much heavier truck or car, the consequences can be severe. Motorcycle accidents are often deadly. You may be asking what to do if your motorcycle is hit by a car from behind. Are there certain steps you should take to ensure your immediate safety? Let’s take a closer look at motorcycle crashes. There were 8,596,314 motorcycles registered in the U.S. in 2019, and they traveled more than 19 billion vehicle miles that year. There were 5,014 fatalities due to motorcycle crashes in 2019, and an additional 84,000 motorcyclists were injured. Fatality rates were roughly 58 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled among motorcyclists, compared to a much lower 9 per [...]
January 28, 2022 / Vehicle Accidents
How many fatalities on U.S. highways?
The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates total number of motor-vehicle deaths for the first six months of 2021 was 21,450, up 16% over the 18,480 deaths in 2020 and up 17% from the 18,384 fatalities in 2019. The estimated cost of motor-vehicle deaths, injuries, and property damage in the first half of 2021 was $241.9 billion. In the first half of 2020, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) had risen year-over-year, from a rate of 1.06 in 2019 to a rate of 1.25 in 2020. What highway has the most deaths? Highway data showing how many people are killed on U.S. highways around the country. According to a recent 2019 report, th[...]
December 29, 2021 / Vehicle Accidents
Can automatic emergency braking systems reduce accidents?
Car accidents can have a devastating impact on the lives of crash victims and their families. Not only do they experience fear and uncertainty, but there can also be huge medical bills, time off work, and ongoing pain and suffering. That’s why government agencies and advocacy groups are always on the lookout for ways to make vehicles safer, often employing technology and autonomous, smart-vehicle innovations to enhance manufacturing methods. Automatic Emergency Braking systems (AEB) are one such measure. The installation of AEB systems is part of a voluntary commitment by 20 automakers globally to equip virtually all new passenger vehicles with low-speed AEB that includes forward collision warning (FCW). The National Highway Traffi[...]
July 27, 2021 / Vehicle Accidents
Can you sue for lower back injuries in a car accident?
Car accidents can be frightening and horrific experiences, resulting in PTSD and significant physical injuries. One of the most common car accident injuries is lower back trauma. The spine is a delicate and essential collection of nerves and vertebrae. When you are thrust against a steering wheel, seat belt, windshield or other stationary object upon collision, the spine is jarred or bruised, resulting in extreme pain, numbness and sometimes paralysis. If you are wondering if you can sue for lower back injuries in a car accident, the answer is yes. You are entitled to take legal action. Lower back injuries often mean huge medical bills, time off work, rehabilitation and even disability. The costs of treatment can be astronomical. [...]
March 11, 2019 / Vehicle Accidents
An Alarming Increase in Indianapolis Hit-and-Run Car Accidents
Being struck by a vehicle while walking on the side of, or crossing, a street is traumatic enough, but what do you do if the driver doesn’t stop? That’s an increasing problem in Indianapolis, reports Fox 29 News. Even if the driver escapes the scene after hitting you, you still may be able to obtain compensation for your injuries. In the first nine months of 2018, a dozen people were killed in Indianapolis in hit-and-run accidents, according to the report; and there are thousands of such accidents happening in the city. Three years ago, 5,049 hit-and-runs were reported to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD). They caused 543 injuries. In 2017, the number of reported hit-and-runs increased to 5,539, with injuries goi[...]
January 10, 2019 / Vehicle Accidents
How Much Can I Get for a Car Accident Settlement?
If you’ve been seriously injured in an Indiana vehicle accident, you may be affected in any number of ways. You may be temporarily or permanently disabled. You may have suffered serious scarring and/or chronic pain and you may have lost a lot of time at work, perhaps so much that you lost your job. You may be entitled to compensation for the harm you’ve suffered, but how much? There are many factors that determine what a settlement may be worth, but they mostly boil down to the facts, the law and the strength of the evidence supporting your claims. In most vehicle collision cases, the plaintiff (the party filing the suit) sues the defendant (the party accused of causing the accident, whose insurance company normally pays for a leg[...]
October 1, 2018 / Vehicle Accidents
Can Cell Phones PREVENT Distracted Driving?
You probably had to read the title twice, right? While cell phones are often the primary cause of distracted driving, the increased attention and concern with regard to this problem is leading to some creative ways to address the role of mobile phones and distracted drivers. Technology companies, truck fleets, and Indiana police officers all have innovative ways to prevent distraction and help identify distracted drivers. Distraction affects a driver’s visual, manual, and cognitive abilities—often all three simultaneously. But help is here. The Right App Technology and automotive companies have been putting their minds together to help prevent distracted driving by creating apps for your smartphone. The proper smartphone app can actual[...]
June 18, 2018 / Vehicle Accidents
What Are the Real Reasons for Motor Vehicle Crashes?
Sometimes, establishing the reasons for a car crash is complicated. One factor that can make determinations even more imprecise is that state crash report forms used at the scene often lack the appropriate fields or places to enter codes that would explain the precise reason for the collision. Because each state uses its own form, no consistency exists. Compiling accurate national statistics becomes difficult, producing results that are just plain wrong. The problem is known as incomplete crash data, and it’s hindering efforts to save lives. How Do Accurate Crash Explanations Help Save Lives? With 40,000 people dying on our roads each year, and another 4.6 million suffering serious injuries, any reasonable action we can take to save [...]
May 21, 2018 / Vehicle Accidents
Don’t Become a Statistic This Memorial Day Weekend
Most of us consider Memorial Day weekend to be the start of summer -- the perfect time to visit family or enjoy the outdoors. About 35 million of us took to the road in 2017, driving more than 50 miles over the holiday weekend, and 2018 may be shaping up to surpass that figure. Don’t set out on your trip until you learn why Memorial Day weekend is the most dangerous one to be on the road. The Riskiest Holiday Weekend All Year Did you know that you are four times likelier to die in a Memorial Day weekend crash than during a regular weekend? Memorial Day weekend is the deadliest of the holiday weekends for road travel. The period from 2011 to 2015 averaged 312 fatalities in each of those years. The other two big summer holiday weekends—[...]
May 14, 2018 / Vehicle Accidents
Pre-Existing Conditions and Motor Vehicle Accidents
If you have a pre-existing medical condition and have sustained injuries in a motor vehicle crash where the other party was negligent, you may be concerned that you cannot win your case. While it can be more difficult to win, having a pre-existing condition does not negate the fact that the other person caused the accident and that you are suffering in ways that you weren’t before the accident. The insurance company for the at-fault party in a car crash will always try to pay you as little as they think they can. That’s the way insurance companies make a profit; never forget they are in business to make money. However, if the accident aggravated your pre-existing condition, you may be able to win your case under something often calle[...]