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Mississippi Auto Accident Litigation Strategy: Identifying a Viable Defendant

Serious auto accidents occur daily in Mississippi involving drivers that disregard safe driving practices and violate the speed limit, text and drive, drive while intoxicated and otherwise engage in dangerous driving behavior.  While you may have a legal right to pursue compensation in a Mississippi auto accident claim, sometimes identifying a viable defendant in a position to satisfy a judgment or settlement.  Even when a Mississippi auto accident results in devastating permanent injuries that involve enormous medical expenses or permanent disability from employment, it may not be feasible to pursue a personal injury lawsuit if there is not source of funds to satisfy a Mississippi auto accident settlement or verdict.  Our experienced Mississippi auto accident attorneys carefully investigate our clients’ cases to identify potential defendants and employ creative litigation strategies to obtain a fair financial recovery for our personal injury clients.

Many times there is a third-party that may also have contributed to your Mississippi auto accident.  Depending on the facts and circumstances of your case, a wide range of third parties may be liable for your injuries. If the person who was at fault in your auto accident was performing a work-related function, the company that employs the driver may be responsible for your injuries. These cases can be complex because many times the employer will dispute whether the particular tasks that the driver was engaged in were within the scope of employment.  It is not necessarily dispositive that the task occurred after hours or even that the employee voluntarily decided to undertake the errand.

Even if the driver of a vehicle does not have insurance, the owner of the vehicle who entrusted the driver with the vehicle may be liable for your injuries. When someone entrusts their vehicle to someone who lacks the maturity, competence or responsibility to drive safely, he or she may be liable for negligently entrusting a vehicle to a third-party.  For example, someone who lends one’s vehicle to a friend that he or she knows has a history of driving under the influence of alcohol or a pattern of past traffic accidents may be liable for your injuries.

Other parties that may be liable for your injuries include public entities, which may have designed or maintained a defective roadway and vehicle manufacturers that may have produced a defective automobile.  Our experienced Mississippi auto accident attorneys always explore the possibility of liability of a public entity or vehicle manufacturer, but this is especially important when the at-fault driver is not a viable defendant.  Public entities that know or should know of dangerous roadway conditions may be liable for failure to make a roadway safe or failure to provide adequate warnings of potential hazards.  An automaker that produces a defective automobile may also be liable for your injuries if the defective component contributed to your Mississippi auto accident.

If there is no other viable party against whom you may recover for your injuries, our Mississippi auto accident attorneys may be able to help you file a claim against your own uninsured motorist UM or underinsured motorist UIM coverage.  Uninsured motorist coverage is optional supplemental insurance coverage that may provide compensation for the same types of damages you might recover from a negligent driver if you are involved in a hit-and-run accident or an accident with an uninsured driver.  Uninsured motorist coverage is typically available for a relatively modest additional premium and can be invaluable if you find yourself involved in a serious car accident in Mississippi with no viable defendant to compensate your for your injuries.

Underinsured motorist coverage is slightly different in that it provides additional compensation when there may be a viable defendant in your case, but the defendant does not carry enough insurance coverage to compensate you for all of your loss. If you are faced with this situation, underinsured motorist coverage can provide additional compensation on top of the insurance coverage of a negligent driver.

Anytime you are involved in an auto accident in Mississippi you may face challenges in identifying a viable defendant with sufficient insurance to compensate you for all of your loss.  The Mississippi auto accident law firm of Barrett Law carefully investigates the circumstances of our clients’ Mississippi auto accidents so that we can identify all potential defendants and assess the best possible litigation strategy.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Good News Bad News Week for Traffic Safety

It has been a good news and bad news in terms of future traffic safety for those driving the roads of Mississippi.  The good news is that the feds have embarked on an ambitious campaign to combat the dangers posed by distracted driving in the wake of the criminal conviction of a driver who was alleged to have been texting and driving when he was involved in a fatal collision.  The bad news is that an offsetting proposed change in the maximum speed limit in Texas may prove more dangerous than drivers using cell phones.

The feds have embarked on a national program to discourage distracted driving which involves a multi-faceted approach to combating this dangerous cause of Mississippi auto accidents.  Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is pushing the remaining states that do not have laws restricting cell phone use while driving to enact legislation to prevent this serious hazard.  He is also calling on Congress to consider enacting legislation at the federal level restricting cell phone use while driving though the exact framework of the proposed restrictions have not yet been made clear.

The most interesting part of the safety campaign involves implementing a program at a statewide level in California and Delaware that involves aggressive enforcement of cell phone driving laws and other measures that proved effective in Syracuse, N.Y. and Hartford, Conn. when tested on a citywide basis.  The program generated a 72 percent reduction in texting while driving in Hartford and a 32 percent reduction in Syracuse.  California and Delaware will be receiving $2.4 million in federal funds to implement the measures intended to reduce texting while driving.

The unveiling of a campaign to curtail texting and driving should be cause for excitement but develops in Texas may this mute excitement.  Texas is considering becoming the first state in the nation to allow drivers to legally drive 85 mph on stretches of roadway in the state.  Because most drivers exceed the speed limit by approximately five mph with immunity on a regular basis, this would mean that Texas drivers could soon be flying down a toll road between Austin and San Antonio at 90 mph.  While only Texas and Utah currently have posted speed limits of 80 mph, the upward trend in maximum speed limits could be mirrored by other states.

The bottom line is that at higher rates of speed there would be more Mississippi auto accidents.  Further, a collision at 90 mph creates a high risk of catastrophic injuries and fatalities.  The force imposed on the bodies of vehicle occupants increases exponentially in direct relationship to increased speed.  If the state decides to follow through on this proposal, it would have the second highest posted speed limit in the world.  There are a certain roads in Poland that have posted speed limits of 86 mph.

Because we are firm advocates of driver safety, our experienced team of Mississippi car accident attorneys at Barrett Law embraces the current attempts to reduce distracted driving but hope they will not be accompanied with a movement toward increased speed limits.  If you or someone you love has been injured in a Mississippi car accident or a loved one has died in a collision caused by a speeding driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and loss.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Mississippi Side Impact Collisions Pose Special Hazards to Children

Side impact collisions can be extremely dangerous particularly for vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle that absorbs the impact from the front end of the other car.  Dangerous side impact collisions (also called “T-Bone accidents”) are common in intersections when drivers disregard traffic signals, stop signs or right of way rules.  When a car runs a red light or stop sign or violates right of way rules by turning in front of a vehicle that is proceeding straight, the result can be catastrophic injury.  Another common location for side impact crashes is around driveways and parking lots.  When vehicles back out of the driveway or a parking space, the front end of one vehicle may slam into the side of another.

Side impact collisions are especially dangerous because the area around the doors of a vehicle typically lack the structural integrity to absorb the same degree of force as the front end or rear of a vehicle.  This can cause the side of the vehicle to essentially collapse in on a vehicle occupant resulting in permanent devastating injuries.  Because of the severe nature of the injuries that are common in side impact collisions, it is important to summon law enforcement personal to an accident scene so that critical evidence can be preserved.

While enormous strides have been made in motor vehicle safety, the task of reducing side impact collisions injuries has been less successful.  While there has been a substantial reduction in fatal front impact fatalities during the last two decades, the number of fatal side impact crashes has continued to rise.  This period has seen a twenty percent increase in side impact fatalities.  One of the reasons has been an increase in the popularity of SUVs and larger vehicles that cause more carnage when they collide with the doors of another vehicle.  Although side window airbags and other supplementary air bags can reduce these risks, many vehicle manufacturers have been slow to make such air bags standard equipment.

Side impact collisions present an especially high risk of severe injury to children.  There is typically only about eight inches of steel protecting a child in the backseat during a side impact collision.  T-Bone crashes account for almost a third of all motor vehicle accident related fatalities involving children.  The importance of side window air bags is reflected in the fact that the lion-share of these fatal injuries to children are caused by trauma to the head.  Side airbags that protect the head, chest and abdomen lower the risk of fatalities in side impact collisions by approximately 37 percent based on data provided by the the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi side impact accident attorneys represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  If you or your child is injured in a T-Bone collision, our experienced Mississippi side impact injury attorneys may be able to help you obtain compensation for injuries or wrongful death suffered in a T-bone collision.   Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Mississippi Side Impact Collisions Pose Special Hazards to Children

Side impact collisions can be extremely dangerous particularly for vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle that absorbs the impact from the front end of the other car.  Dangerous side impact collisions (also called “T-Bone accidents”) are common in intersections when drivers disregard traffic signals, stop signs or right of way rules.  When a car runs a red light or stop sign or violates right of way rules by turning in front of a vehicle that is proceeding straight, the result can be catastrophic injury.  Another common location for side impact crashes is around driveways and parking lots.  When vehicles back out of the driveway or a parking space, the front end of one vehicle may slam into the side of another.

Side impact collisions are especially dangerous because the area around the doors of a vehicle typically lack the structural integrity to absorb the same degree of force as the front end or rear of a vehicle.  This can cause the side of the vehicle to essentially collapse in on a vehicle occupant resulting in permanent devastating injuries.  Because of the severe nature of the injuries that are common in side impact collisions, it is important to summon law enforcement personal to an accident scene so that critical evidence can be preserved.

While enormous strides have been made in motor vehicle safety, the task of reducing side impact collisions injuries has been less successful.  While there has been a substantial reduction in fatal front impact fatalities during the last two decades, the number of fatal side impact crashes has continued to rise.  This period has seen a twenty percent increase in side impact fatalities.  One of the reasons has been an increase in the popularity of SUVs and larger vehicles that cause more carnage when they collide with the doors of another vehicle.  Although side window airbags and other supplementary air bags can reduce these risks, many vehicle manufacturers have been slow to make such air bags standard equipment.

Side impact collisions present an especially high risk of severe injury to children.  There is typically only about eight inches of steel protecting a child in the backseat during a side impact collision.  T-Bone crashes account for almost a third of all motor vehicle accident related fatalities involving children.  The importance of side window air bags is reflected in the fact that the lion-share of these fatal injuries to children are caused by trauma to the head.  Side airbags that protect the head, chest and abdomen lower the risk of fatalities in side impact collisions by approximately 37 percent based on data provided by the the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi side impact accident attorneys represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  If you or your child is injured in a T-Bone collision, our experienced Mississippi side impact injury attorneys may be able to help you obtain compensation for injuries or wrongful death suffered in a T-bone collision.   Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Mississippi Side Impact Collisions Pose Special Hazards to Children

Side impact collisions can be extremely dangerous particularly for vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle that absorbs the impact from the front end of the other car.  Dangerous side impact collisions (also called “T-Bone accidents”) are common in intersections when drivers disregard traffic signals, stop signs or right of way rules.  When a car runs a red light or stop sign or violates right of way rules by turning in front of a vehicle that is proceeding straight, the result can be catastrophic injury.  Another common location for side impact crashes is around driveways and parking lots.  When vehicles back out of the driveway or a parking space, the front end of one vehicle may slam into the side of another.

Side impact collisions are especially dangerous because the area around the doors of a vehicle typically lack the structural integrity to absorb the same degree of force as the front end or rear of a vehicle.  This can cause the side of the vehicle to essentially collapse in on a vehicle occupant resulting in permanent devastating injuries.  Because of the severe nature of the injuries that are common in side impact collisions, it is important to summon law enforcement personal to an accident scene so that critical evidence can be preserved.

While enormous strides have been made in motor vehicle safety, the task of reducing side impact collisions injuries has been less successful.  While there has been a substantial reduction in fatal front impact fatalities during the last two decades, the number of fatal side impact crashes has continued to rise.  This period has seen a twenty percent increase in side impact fatalities.  One of the reasons has been an increase in the popularity of SUVs and larger vehicles that cause more carnage when they collide with the doors of another vehicle.  Although side window airbags and other supplementary air bags can reduce these risks, many vehicle manufacturers have been slow to make such air bags standard equipment.

Side impact collisions present an especially high risk of severe injury to children.  There is typically only about eight inches of steel protecting a child in the backseat during a side impact collision.  T-Bone crashes account for almost a third of all motor vehicle accident related fatalities involving children.  The importance of side window air bags is reflected in the fact that the lion-share of these fatal injuries to children are caused by trauma to the head.  Side airbags that protect the head, chest and abdomen lower the risk of fatalities in side impact collisions by approximately 37 percent based on data provided by the the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi side impact accident attorneys represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  If you or your child is injured in a T-Bone collision, our experienced Mississippi side impact injury attorneys may be able to help you obtain compensation for injuries or wrongful death suffered in a T-bone collision.   Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Complying with Timing Requirements in Mississippi Wrongful Death Claims

When you lose a loved one because of the careless conduct or criminal act of a third party, the emotional hardships can be enormous.  The notion of worrying about practical concerns like financial challenges, legal actions, and insurance hassles when coping with overwhelming grief can be extremely difficult.  However, there are critical time limits that apply to wrongful death actions, which make it important to take prompt action to avoid violating these critical deadlines.

The statute of limitations is the formal deadline by which a lawsuit must be initiated to preserve your legal rights to bring a legal action including a wrongful death claim.  The importance of the statute of limitations cannot be overstated because failure to comply with this timing requirement will typically result in a permanent bar to bringing a wrongful death claim.  There are generally no exceptions to the statute of limitations so even where failure to comply with the time limit results in devastating results the court cannot override this critical timing requirement.  If you have a loved one taken from you prematurely by the wrongful conduct of another, it is essential to obtain legal advice at the earliest opportunity.

An example may illustrate how an experienced Mississippi wrongful death attorney may help you avoid having a wrongful death claim permanently barred.  If a loved one is killed in a car accident on the roads of Mississippi, you must initiate a wrongful death action within three (3) years of the date of death.  While this may seem like a long time, the reality is that the time can pass quickly.  Sometimes a party that is not represented by counsel may be negotiating with an insurance company and not realize that the statue is approaching.  The insurance company is certainly not going to alert you and may drag out negotiations until it is too late to file a lawsuit.

The severe consequences of failing to file prior to the statute of limitations running also means that law firms may be hesitant to get involved in a wrongful death claim if the statute of limitations is close because of the potential liability.  Many times the law firm needs to conduct an investigation into the merits of a wrongful death claim so the firm must have sufficient time to determine whether they wish to take the case.

The determination of the date by which the case must be filed also can be complicated without legal advice.  A wrongful death claim that is based on an intentional tort in Mississippi has only a one year statute of limitations.  An intentional tort essentially refers to injuries caused by intentional rather than accidental conduct, such as sexual assaults, physical assaults and similar types of claims.  Medical malpractice claims generally must be filed within two years of the act or omission that gave rise to the claim or within two years of when the injury is or should have been discovered.

While these time limits may sound straightforward, there are a number of complications that may be involved in determining when the statute of limitations runs (i.e. expires).  Sometimes the period may be “tolled” or suspended and calculating when the period starts is sometimes tricky.  The harsh consequences of failing to comply with the statute of limitations means that you must be extremely vigilant about seeking legal advice promptly.  It must also be noted that other shorter time limits may apply if you are bringing a claim against a governmental entity.

If your loved one dies because of the wrongful act of another, the experienced Mississippi wrongful death attorneys at Barrett Law are committed to helping families recover the compensation that they need and holding those whose conduct harms others accountable.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent wrongful death victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Understanding the Danger of Mississippi Side Impact Collisions

Side impact crashes in Mississippi can be extremely dangerous particularly to a vehicle occupant on the side of the vehicle involved in the collision.  Broadside crashes are most common at intersections where the front end of one vehicle collides with the side of another vehicle.  The at-fault driver that broadsides the other vehicle may cause a side impact accident by running a red light or stop sign or failing to obey right of way rules.  Because the physical structure of the door area of a vehicle lacks the structural integrity of other areas of the vehicle and a lack of airbags, many Mississippi side impact collisions result in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death.

When you are involved in a Mississippi side impact collision, you may be physically thrown against the door frame or window.  This can result in severe head injuries resulting in traumatic brain injury.  The injuries suffered in a side impact crash can be especially severe if there is a substantial weight disparity in the vehicle.  If a large SUV collides with a mid-size or compact vehicle the door can crumple and cause devastating injuries to the occupant on that side of the vehicle.  Although recently vehicle manufacturers have attempted to address some of the features of cars that leave vehicle occupants particularly vulnerable during a side impact collision including adding side impact and side window airbags and increasing the strength of vehicle doors and door frames.

Because side impact collisions often occur in intersections, there are a variety of unreasonably hazardous driving practices that contribute to these dangerous Mississippi collisions.  The most common causes of broadside car accidents in Mississippi include the following:

  • Distracted drivers who fail to observe stop signs or traffic signals
  • Speeding drivers who are driving too fast to stop for cross-traffic at an intersection
  • Motorists who make illegal turns into vehicle proceeding straight through an intersection

Mississippi side impact collisions can also cause injury or wrongful death to vehicle occupants because it may cause multiple impacts.  When a vehicle is struck from the side, the vehicle may spin into other vehicles or obstructions causing a multiple impact collision.  Vehicle occupants sometimes suffer the most serious injuries not during the original impact but during the subsequent collisions caused when the vehicle is spun into other traffic.

The only type of accident that is more likely to result in fatalities than side impact crashes are deadly head on collisions.  If you or someone you love has been injured in a Mississippi side impact accident, you may be entitled to seek damages for your injuries.  At the Barrett Law Offices PLLC, our experienced Mississippi side impact accident lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Five Things You Need to Know About Fault in Mississippi Auto Accidents

When you are involved in a collision while traveling on Mississippi roadways, the accident scene can be extremely confusing and chaotic.  Many accidents happen so quickly that it can be difficult to process exactly how the accident occurred even if you are one of the drivers involved. What you do at an accident scene is important because your ability to recover financial compensation for your injuries from the other driver’s insurance company may depend on your ability to prove the fault of the other driver.  While there are a few accidents where there can be little dispute about who is at fault, this is the exception rather than the rule.

The basis for imposing liability in most Mississippi car accident cases is the negligence of the other driver. Negligence effectively refers to unreasonably careless driving that causes foreseeable injury to other vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.  Fault is a closely related concept, which in ordinary parlance refers to a person whose poor driving causes an accident.  It is fairly rare that an insurance company will simply concede the issue of fault, which means the available evidence in most cases is open to multiple interpretations as to who caused an accident. Because fault is a critical issue in terms of recovering financial compensation for your injuries suffered in Mississippi motor vehicle accident, we have provided five things you need to know about the issue of fault if you are involved in a car crash in Mississippi.

  1. If you are involved in a collision, you should never admit fault or express remorse. While the urge to say, “I’m sorry” may be compelling, a savvy insurance company adjuster may later construe this act of courtesy as an admission of fault.
  2. Do not presume that you are at fault and have no right to recovery based solely on the law enforcement accident report. While police officers that investigate car accidents are extremely knowledgeable and competent, they frequently are forced to make a determination on the issue of fault with incomplete evidence. If you retain an experienced Mississippi car accident law firm, the law firm typically will conduct an independent investigation and often consult accident reconstruction experts. The key to keep in mind is that you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries despite the conclusions of a law enforcement accident report.
  3. Any driver involved in a motor vehicle accident should be aware that fault can be divided amongst multiple parties. Sometimes both drivers in a two-car collision will have made careless errors, but this does not necessarily preclude your ability to recover for your injuries provided that the other driver is determined to have had a higher degree of fault.  While your own percentage of fault may result in a reduction of your financial recovery, you may still be entitled to compensation for your injuries but the amount may be reduced by your percentage of fault.  When the plaintiff and defendant are both at-fault, the legal term to characterize this type of fault is “comparative fault.
  4. Some of the most common types of unsafe driving that constitute fault in Mississippi car accident lawsuits include:
  • Speeding
  • Drunk driving
  • Illegal turns
  • Running stop signs/red lights
  • Tailgating
  • Drowsy driving
  • Distracted driving
  • Failure to observe right of way
  • Unsafe lane changes
  1. There are a few situations where fault may not be disputed.  The most common situations include

Mississippi car crashes in which one driver rear-ends another driver, or a driver makes a left turn at an intersection when the other vehicle is proceeding straight through a green light.

Because insurance companies aggressively dispute the issue of fault in Mississippi car accident cases, it is important to seek an experienced Mississippi car accident lawyer who may be able to preserve critical evidence and develop a compelling theory of liability.  The experienced Mississippi motor vehicle accident attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing effective representation to Mississippi auto accident victims for over 75 years.  We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.

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Feds Propose Limits on Dashboard Gadgets That Distract Drivers

The dashboards of passenger vehicles are quickly becoming a cross between a comprehensive entertainment system, wireless communication center and portable arcade.  Car manufacturers are constantly striving to provide vehicles with more appealing features including improved safety features like crash avoidance systems and improved air bag protection, but these features often conflict with new entertainment features.  Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of Mississippi motor vehicle collisions.  As car manufacturers increasingly turn car dashboards into home entertainment centers that can be used for keeping in touch on social media sites, searching the web, watching videos and reading e-books, the problem continues to grow.

However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced new guidelines designed to reduce the risk of distracted driving collisions caused by dashboard entertainment technology.  The NHTSA is requesting that automakers curb the practice of providing electronic gadgets that promote distracted driving.  Although compliance is voluntary, the NHTSA has asked vehicle makers to design distracting technology so that it is automatically disabled when the vehicle is moving.

The proposal does not apply to all electronic technology equally.  Certain types of technology like collision warning systems and GPS devices are partially exempt from the guideline.  While the NHTSA is not requesting that these devices be disabled when the vehicle is moving, they are asking that the devices be designed so there is no need for drivers to adjust them while driving.

Unfortunately, this proposal is voluntary, which means that manufacturers may choose to ignore the guideline because consumers may be turned off by the devices being disabled when the vehicle is moving.  If some motor vehicle manufacturers decide that they wish to make the devices usable during driving, it may place pressure on other car makers to follow suit so that their vehicles offer the same technological entertainment advantages.

Independent studies have shown that distracted driving is comparable to drunk driving and drowsy driving in terms of the likelihood of Mississippi car accidents.  It is inconceivable that automakers would consider installing mini-bars in the front seat of passenger vehicles so one would assume that it is also a bad idea to put a DVD player or device for surfing the Internet in the dashboard of a vehicle.  Driving distractions that cause Mississippi motor vehicle accidents can take many forms, including watching videos, web surfing, reading, eating, using a cell phone and more.  It is always dangerous to multi-task while driving a motor vehicle so we can only hope that automakers comply with the suggestions of the NHTSA.

The experienced Mississippi motor vehicle accident attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing effective representation to Mississippi auto accident victims for over 75 years.  We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.

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Mandatory “Black Boxes” in New Vehicles Could Ease Evidence Issues in Car Accident Lawsuits

Many people are familiar with onboard data recorders referred to as “black boxes” that offer critical information to investigators following a plane crash.  These black box data recorders also known as Event Data Recorders (EDR) provide information that can be invaluable in reconstructing the cause of a collision.  Federal safety authorities are considering making EDRs mandatory on new automobile sold in the U.S.  When a serious Mississippi auto accident occurs, it can sometimes be difficult to reconstruct what occurred in the mass of twisted metal.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is considering requiring an EDR feature for new cars that would store driving information and record a final snapshot in the event of a collision.

This requirement would make it much easier for those who suffer serious injury in a Mississippi car accident to establish the circumstances that caused their car accident.  There are many issues that are commonly disputed in personal injury litigation involving motor vehicle accident cases which an EDR might make it easier to establish including:

  • Sudden braking
  • Speed immediately prior to collision
  • Equipment failure or malfunction

The information provided by an EDR device installed on a vehicle involved in a Mississippi collision may provide critical evidence on fault and causation that permits an injury victim to obtain compensation for serious injuries.  When a vehicle occupant is involved in a Mississippi car accident, the medical and rehabilitative costs associated with catastrophic injuries may easily reach into six figures.  This type of life-altering injuries may also mean the loss of one’s ability to work and provide for one’s family.  Because of these enormous financial challenges, any strategy that preserves evidence to help properly establish liability for causing such injuries promotes fairness and justice.

The value of requiring black boxes in new motor vehicles will also continue to grow in value as more electronic components and systems are used by vehicle manufacturers.  Black box technology will provide a way to identify failure of such electronic components much like those that were suspected to be behind Toyota sudden acceleration accidents.  Because black box technology is not yet standard, there was enormous dispute over the cause of sudden acceleration accidents with Toyota claiming the cause was driver error or issues with floor mats while plaintiff’s argued that the cause was a product defect in the electronics of vehicles.

If you are injured in a Mississippi car accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries.  The experienced Mississippi teen car accident attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing aggressive representation to Mississippi car accident victims for over 75 years.  We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.

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