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Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys Discuss Fatal Accidents Caused by Tired Drivers

Research and statistics provide information about automobile accidents that can help drivers understand the risks associated with driving and the types of accidents that can happen on the road. For example, statistics show that drowsy driving is a common cause of single-vehicle accidents involving serious injuries or fatalities and drivers who are not intoxicated. A tragic multi-fatality accident in Copiah County appears to be an example of this type of accident. The fiery early morning crash that killed two adults and two children occurred when a vehicle left the highway and hit a tree. An initial investigation of the accident scene indicated that the driver appeared to have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Accidents involving tired drivers are becoming more and more common on American roads, claiming the lives of approximately fifteen hundred people each year and injuring thousands of others. Despite ample media coverage of these tragic accidents, many people do not take sleep into consideration when they make choices about driving. As a nation, we are more sleep-deprived than ever before. Even in cases where people do not suffer from chronic sleep deprivation, accident risk can be increased by the occasional lack of sleep. It is also important to note that drivers who get adequate rest before they get behind the wheel experience an increased accident risk after they have been driving for a long time, as driving is an activity that can cause fatigue.

The effects of sleep deprivation and driver fatigue are similar to the effects of consuming alcohol. Tired drivers experience decreased awareness and impaired judgment, and they are slow to react to things like the movements of nearby vehicles, curves in the road, or animals that run out into the road. Unfortunately, the strategies that many of us use for keeping ourselves alert, including chewing gum, drinking coffee, or rolling down the windows, are only somewhat effective at increasing awareness and only work for a limited period of time. The safest thing that drivers can do when they notice that they are beginning to get tired is to stop and rest. Stopping to rest may not seem like an option, especially if you are trying to arrive at your destination at a certain time, but it is the best way to ensure that you get there safely.

Barrett Law PLLC: Serving the Needs of Mississippi Automobile Accident Victims  

Automobile accidents involving serious injuries and fatalities have a deep and lasting impact upon the lives of accident victims and their families. It can be difficult to know what to do if an accident has taken the life of someone in your family or has left them with a serious injury. The Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC may be able to help you if you have been injured in a Mississippi automobile accident, or if someone that you love was killed in a Mississippi automobile accident. To learn more, please call us today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule an initial consultation.

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Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys Discuss Causes of Rollovers and How to Avoid Them

Rollover crashes are dangerous, and sometimes, even deadly. Because rollovers involve a mixture of factors such as weather, a driver’s reaction, vehicle type, and road conditions, there are a variety of things that can cause rollover wrecks. Fortunately, there are also a number of ways in which to address rollover causes through improvements in driving skills and technology.

Some physical features of vehicles can make them more or less likely to roll over. While any vehicle can roll over, the vehicles that have the highest rollover risk tend to be tall and narrow. These vehicles, which include many SUVs, vans, and pickup trucks, have a high center of gravity and can be rolled over with less force than it takes to roll over vehicles with a lower center of gravity, such as cars that have been designed with a low, wide stance.

Other factors that play a role in rollover crashes include speed, alcohol, and the driving environment. Fatal rollovers in particular often involve excessive speed. Alcohol consumption greatly increases the risk that you will make poor choices while driving, which includes the risk of losing control of your vehicle and rolling over. Approximately half of all fatal rollovers involve alcohol. Rollovers also occur more frequently on rural roads, where dividing lines are not as clearly marked and speed limits may be high despite the presence of curves.

As you can see, some of the causes of rollover crashes are directly tied to drivers’ behavior. This means that drivers can greatly reduce the risk of rollover accidents by making better choices regarding how they drive. Some examples of things that you can do to avoid rollover accidents include following posted speed limits, choosing not to drink and drive, choosing not to drive if you are fatigued, and avoiding distractions while driving. It is also important to remember not to make sudden, panicked movements with your steering wheel because those movements often lead to overcorrections and rollovers. Wearing a seat belt is always important, and it can save your life if your car rolls over. Close to seventy percent of rollover fatalities involve victims who were not wearing seat belts. Other things that you can do to decrease rollover risk include properly inflating and maintaining your tires and loading vehicles properly.

Vehicle design can also play a role in helping reduce the number of rollover accidents that occur. While it is essential that drivers learn how to reduce their rollover risk through making good choices, it is helpful when vehicles have additional features that reduce rollover risk even further. Stability control features have many different names, but they work in similar ways, detecting overcorrections and compensating for them by braking automatically. Side-impact or curtain-style airbags are another helpful technology that can reduce ejection risk and can reduce the amount of fatalities and the severity of injuries that occur during rollovers. It is important to note that side airbags that deploy during a rollover only work to reduce ejection risk if vehicle occupants are also wearing seatbelts. Variable ride height suspensions are another feature that can help vehicles adapt to changing driving conditions and make automatic adjustments to reduce the likelihood of a rollover.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Representing Mississippi Automobile Accident Victims

If you were injured in a rollover, the experienced and dedicated Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC would like to help you. Please call us today, at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free, initial consultation.

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Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys Share Tips for Sharing the Road with Tractor Trailers

Summer is a popular time for road trips. Road trips can be a lot of fun, as long as you get to where you are going safely and without incident. With this in mind, now is a good time for drivers to remind themselves of things that they can do to ensure that their road trips are safe and successful.

As you are driving along the road, you are likely to encounter plenty of vehicles that are not cars. For example, tractors trailers are a common sight on roadways throughout America. The drivers who operate those enormous trucks receive specialized training so that they can drive them safely.  In reality, though, truck drivers count on other drivers to drive responsibly just like the rest of us do. Whenever there is an accident involving a tractor trailer, it is possible that the truck driver is at fault. It is also possible that the driver of another vehicle caused the accident.  Because of this, it makes sense to say that the drivers of passenger vehicles can make the roads safer for everyone by knowing how to drive safely when they are near tractor trailers.

Part of knowing how to avoid accidents with tractor trailers is being aware of the situations that create an increased risk.  For example, there is an increased risk of an accident whenever a passenger vehicle passes a truck. Of course, there are many situations in which drivers want or need to pass trucks, so instead of trying to avoid passing, it is best to learn how to pass safely. First, keep in mind that it takes some time to pass a truck because they are extremely large. It is okay to take your time when passing, because it is better to pass at an even speed rather than at a rapid acceleration. You should always pass on the left, in a designated passing zone, and be sure that you are far enough in front of it before you move back over. If a truck is trying to get around you, you can make that pass safer by slowing down a little so that they can complete their pass sooner.

Passing situations are not the only time that accidents can happen. If the driver of a passenger vehicle is tired or distracted, they may get too close to a truck and collide with it. When the driver of a passenger vehicle fails to yield to an oncoming truck, the truck driver may not be able to avoid a collision. Drivers who do not realize that trucks have blind spots also increase the risk of an accident. A truck’s blind spots are directly behind it, next to its left rear quarter, and next to its right front quarter. If a passenger vehicle is in blind spot, the truck driver cannot see it, which increases the risk of a crash.

Barrett Law PLLC: Caring and Compassionate Representation for Mississippi Accident Victims  

The Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC may be able to help you if you have been injured in a Mississippi automobile accident. To learn more, please call us today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule an initial consultation.

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Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys Explain Rollover Crashes

Did you know that rollover crashes have a higher fatality rate than other types of vehicle wrecks? While only a little over two percent of all passenger vehicle crashes are rollovers, rollover wrecks cause over thirty percent of all passenger vehicle fatalities. Because rollover crashes are so deadly, it is important that all drivers understand what they are so that they can take steps to avoid them.

There are two ways that rollover accidents generally happen. In the first type of rollover crash scenario, the “tripped rollover,” the vehicle goes off of the road surface and slides sideways.  As the vehicle slides, its tires dig into the soft dirt at the side of the road or hit a curb, guardrail, rock, or other object, essentially “tripping” the vehicle and causing it to roll over. It is easy to envision tripped rollovers, if you think about it. If you can imagine the driver of an SUV or pickup truck driving at highway speed and accidentally moving too far to the right, causing one or two of the vehicle’s tires to go off of the roadway and into the dirt, you can easily imagine that the driver’s response will probably be to jerk the wheel hard to the left to avoid veering off the road. If the driver’s quick and sharp response leads to overcorrection, the tires will continue to dig further into the soft dirt, and the vehicle will roll over. Likewise, if one side of a vehicle rolls up onto an object like a curb or a guardrail at a high rate of speed, the vehicle’s movement can generate enough force to roll it over. Steep slopes off of the side of the road can also cause tripped rollovers, because a vehicle only has to leave the road surface slightly to begin rolling down the slope, even if it was traveling at a fairly low speed to begin with.

While tripped rollover crashes account for ninety five percent of all rollover wrecks, there is another way that rollover accidents can happen. These “other” rollover crashes are called “un-tripped” rollovers. Un-tripped rollovers are most likely to happen when the drivers of top-heavy vehicles encounter high-speed collision-avoidance situations like animals running into the road or large items in the roadway.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Serving the Victims of Mississippi Rollover Accidents

Rollover crashes are dangerous and they are often deadly. If you have suffered an injury or you have lost someone you love because of a rollover wreck, the Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are here to assist you. You are likely to have a lot of questions during this challenging and often confusing time in your life. Our compassionate and dedicated team of attorneys is ready to assist you and your family as you work to overcome the challenges that you are facing due to the rollover accident. Please call our office today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule an initial consultation.

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Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys Report: Self-Driving Cars are Vulnerable to Collisions

By now, many people are aware that Google has developed a self-driving car. What people may not yet realize is that self-driving cars have been involved in collisions. The list of crashes involving self-driving cars recently expanded to include a crash that involved some degree of bodily injury. Upon hearing this, people’s initial reactions might be to think that self-driving cars are not safe, or that a driver would have been able to avoid an accident more readily than a self-driven vehicle.  Fortunately, neither of these things are true. The self-driving cars that are being tested are proving to be quite safe, and information about collisions involving the cars indicates that they have not caused the accidents in which they were involved.

Interestingly enough, the noteworthy “first bodily injury in a self-driving car” collision in California was not actually caused by anything related to the self-driving car.  Specifically, it was caused by another driver, who rear-ended the Google car, which was stopped in traffic at a green light because it could not clear the intersection due to traffic on the other side of the intersection. According to Google, there have been other accidents involving self-driving cars, including several rear-end collisions. In all of these accidents, human error was the underlying cause of the crash.

The collisions involving self-driving cars call attention to the problem of inattention, or human error. The cars do have drivers, because the laws do not permit driverless vehicles on roadways. For the most part, the cars do, in fact, drive themselves, and the driver sits in the driver’s seat, ready to intervene if necessary.

There are not many self-driving cars on the road right now, and those that are are the ones that are being tested by Google employees. As testing continues, the self-driving car program is likely to provide plenty of interesting and useful information about cars, drivers, and all of the things that happen on the road. Google’s self-driving cars are now driving about 10,000 miles a month, which approximates the amount of driving that a typical American driver drives in a year. In total, the self-driving cars have driven over a million miles in self-driving mode. They have also logged another eight hundred thousand miles with a driver in control. The cars use computers, cameras, and other sophisticated technologies to maneuver themselves on all kinds of roadways.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Caring and Compassionate Legal Representation for Mississippi Accident Victims

While it is unlikely that you will be involved in an accident with a self-driving car, there are plenty of other vehicles on the road that could be involved in a collision with the vehicle that you are driving. If you were involved in a car crash and you are hurt, the Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC want to help you. Our team of experienced attorneys is dedicated to helping you, so please call Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule a free consultation with us.

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Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys Share Tips for Sharing the Road with Motorcycles

Many motorcycle riders are enthusiastic about almost everything about riding motorcycles. However, there is one thing that even the most enthusiastic riders are likely to agree can ruin a good ride, if not end it entirely. That one thing is when the drivers of other vehicles fail to yield. When motorists do not yield to motorcycle riders, it is not just upsetting. The failure to yield can be dangerous, and even deadly.

Motorcycle riders are responsible for doing what they can in order to make themselves more visible. Things like using headlights all of the time and wearing highly visible clothing make motorcycle riders easier to see. However, simply seeing motorcycle riders on the road is not enough. Motorists who share the road with motorcycles must always be aware of their surroundings, and they must yield to oncoming motorcycles just as they would yield to other oncoming vehicles.

In addition to yielding to oncoming motorcycles, there are a few other things that motorists can do to improve their awareness of motorcycles on the road. For example, looking twice in each direction before entering an intersection is a good way to make sure that you don’t miss an approaching motorcycle, or any other vehicle, for that matter. Also, checking your mirrors when changing lanes and when using on ramps and off ramps can help you avoid entering the path of a motorcycle. Using turn signals lets other drivers, including motorcycle riders, know where you are going so that they can anticipate and react to your movements.

Another important thing that you can do to share the road more safely with motorcycles is to leave plenty of room between your vehicle and any motorcycles that you see. Many motorcycles are designed in such a way that the driver can slow down by downshifting through the gears, applying the brakes only when it is almost time to stop. For this reason, motorcycles may appear to stop suddenly or slow down rapidly. The minimum safe distance between your car and a motorcycle is twice the distance that you would leave between your vehicle and any other vehicle. When you are stopped in traffic or sitting at a traffic light, it is also important to leave additional space between your vehicle and any motorcycles that are in front of you. Motorcycle riders sometimes need extra space and time to navigate intersections, especially if the pavement is uneven or wet.

Barrett Law PLLC: Top Quality Representation for Mississippi Accident Victims  

Motorists and motorcyclists can share the road safely, if they work together to follow the rules of the road and pay close attention to what they, and others around them, are doing. The Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are here to help people who have been injured and families who have lost loved ones in Mississippi automobile accidents. To learn more about who we are and what we do, please call our office today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free consultation.

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Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys Talk about Child Safety Seats

Some Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of one and nineteen, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, a global organization which is dedicated to preventing injuries to children. Sometimes, the problem is that the child was not buckled into a child safety seat while they were riding in the vehicle. In cases where the child was riding in a child safety seat, the injury or death was often caused by misuse of the child safety seat that the child was buckled into at the time of the accident.

It is estimated that in the United States, child safety seats are used incorrectly over seventy percent of the time. This includes failing to use restraints for child passengers, as riding without a restraint greatly increases the risk of automobile accident injuries and death for children. Even when parents do use safety seats and seat belts, there is plenty of room for error. From children being placed in the wrong type of restraint for their size and age, to incorrectly securing the restraint in the vehicle or the child in the restraint, there are, unfortunately, many ways to incorrectly use restraints and safety seats for children. Notwithstanding, if parents and caregivers educate themselves about how to properly choose and use child safety seats, they can make riding in the car a lot safer for the little ones in their lives.

Each state has its own laws regarding child safety seats. Mississippi has a primary booster seat law. The law requires all children under the age of seven to ride in a child restraint that is designed to hold children of their age and size. State laws like the one in Mississippi provide a good basic framework for keeping children safe in the car. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a great resource for parents and caregivers who want to learn more about choosing and using child safety seats. Some of the recommendations that are made by the AAP go above and beyond what most state laws require, such as suggesting that all children under two years of age ride in a rear facing car seat. The AAP website also offers answers to common questions about installing car seats, and tips for using them properly.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Representing Those Who Have Been Injured In Mississippi Automobile Accidents  

Child safety seats and booster seats can save lives, when they are used correctly. Parents can increase the chance that they and their children will arrive at their destination safely buckling themselves and their children into the appropriate restraints for every car trip. Unfortunately, even if they are using the correct child safety seat or booster seat, children can still get badly injured or even killed in an automobile accident. If your child was hurt or killed in a Mississippi car crash, the experienced and dedicated Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are here to help you. Please call us today, at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free, initial consultation.

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Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys Discuss Wrongful Death Actions

If someone in your family died in a car accident that was caused by the negligent actions of another person, you may be experiencing many feelings right now. For example, sadness is a natural reaction to the loss of a close friend or family member. Anger is also a common feeling that many people experience when someone that they love dies, especially when their death is sudden and unanticipated. Confusion is another common feeling for people who are experiencing a loss. Altogether, mixed emotions are normal during the grieving process, and it can be some time before those who have suffered a loss are able to work through their feelings surrounding the loss and take any actions that they are able to take to move forward in their own lives.

If you have experienced a loss because of the negligence of someone else, you may be able to file a wrongful death action against the party whose negligence caused your loved one to die. A wrongful death action can serve the dual purpose of holding a negligent person responsible for the devastation that they have caused and providing compensation to the family of the deceased. In Mississippi, the persons who can file a wrongful death claim on the behalf of someone who has died include their full-blooded and half-blooded family members, and their statutory beneficiaries.

When a family member or group of family members brings a wrongful death action, their claim can address a few different types of damages. For example, funeral expenses and any expenses associated with the decedent’s medical care are often sought in wrongful death cases, as are damages related to the pain and suffering that the decedent experienced. A wrongful death action can also ask for an award of the money that the deceased would likely have gone on to earn had he or she had the chance to fulfill an average life expectancy.  Damages for the loss of companionship of the deceased may also be pursued as part of a wrongful death lawsuit in Mississippi. There is even the possibility of an award of punitive damages, if it can be proven that the defendant was grossly negligence or engaged in willful misconduct.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Superior Legal Representation for Families of Mississippi Accident Victims

When an automobile accident that is caused by negligence results in the death of one or more people, the family of the deceased may be able to bring a wrongful death action on their behalf. If a negligent driver has caused a loss in your family, the Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC want to help you get through this difficult time in your life. You are experiencing a tragic loss because of another person’s actions, and you deserve to have only the best in legal representation. Our team of experienced attorneys is dedicated to helping you. Call Barrett Law PLLC today, at 1 (800) 707-9577, to schedule a free consultation.

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Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys Discuss Accidents Caused by Drivers Taking Selfie

If you use social media, then you know what “selfies” are. In fact, when you check in on your social media accounts, you probably see plenty of selfies that have been posted by your friends and family. High quality cameras now come as standard equipment on most cell phones, and photo sharing applications enable cell phone and tablet users to edit pictures on the go. These technological advances have helped to make taking self-portraits, or “selfies” as they are commonly called, a popular pastime for many people.

Of course, there are many situations in which taking selfies can be dangerous, and even deadly. While you may feel as though that is common knowledge, more people than you might imagine are taking selfies in one of the most dangerous situations imaginable – behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. People are taking distracted driving to a dangerous new level, snapping selfies, and even posting them online while driving. If you are wondering how many people actually take selfies while driving, a recent study from AT&T and Braun Research suggests that approximately seventeen percent of drivers have taken a selfie while driving. In fact, driving selfies are all too easy to find on social media sites like Instagram, where users can help others find their pictures by labeling them with hashtags like #driving, #drivingselfie, and #hopeidontcrash.

This past March, Mississippi banned texting and driving.  Many states impose similar penalties for using social media while driving as they do for texting while driving, and it is unclear as of yet whether Mississippi will do the same. Bans on texting and smartphone use have been shown to be effective in reducing the amount of accidents caused by distracted driving, but not all drivers are so easily deterred. Drivers of all ages are continuing to snap and post selfies while driving, and some driving selfies are even posted by truck drivers in their eighteen wheelers and people who are driving construction vehicles and other types of heavy machinery.

Whenever you get in your car and drive somewhere, you may unknowingly be sharing the road with someone who is willing to risk their lives and the lives of others by taking selfies while driving. You can do your part to reduce the number of distracted driving fatalities by refraining from texting, taking selfies, or using social media while driving, and teaching your children to do the same.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Serving the Victims of Distracted Driving Accidents

If you have suffered an injury or a loss because of a distracted driver, the Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC may be able to help you. Automobile accident cases can be complicated, especially when there is an injury or a loss involved. Our experienced and dedicated team of attorneys is ready to assist you and your family during this difficult and challenging time in your lives. Please call our office today, at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule an initial consultation.

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Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys Share Accident Avoidance Tips

Approximately sixty five percent of fatal automobile accidents involve just one vehicle. This makes single-vehicle crashes even more deadly than accidents where multiple vehicles are involved. Unfortunately, single-vehicle crashes are also the most difficult accidents for accident investigators to resolve. The reason for this is simple – if the crash was fatal, the driver, who was the person who would have had the most information about what happened before and during the crash, cannot relay that information to anyone after they are deceased.  However, while the cause of any given single-vehicle accident can be very difficult to pinpoint, there is a good amount of knowledge available regarding how drivers can prevent single vehicle crashes.

One major cause of single vehicle accidents is drunk driving. Many single-vehicle accidents happen when a vehicle leaves the roadway and either flips over down an embankment or collides with an object like a tree. When a driver has consumed alcohol, their reaction time is slower and their judgment is poor. Under those circumstances, it is easy to misjudge a curve in the road or fail to make a necessary course correction in time to avoid an accident. Avoiding alcohol use prior to and during driving can reduce your risk of being in a single-vehicle accident.

Since tired drivers respond in much the same way as those who are under the influence of alcohol, it is not surprising that tired drivers are another leading cause of single-vehicle accidents. Getting adequate rest is therefore another way that drivers can decrease the risk that they will be involved in a single vehicle accident. Also, if you are driving and you notice that you are tired, find a place to rest a bit before continuing on your way. Taking a rest break could make the difference between arriving at your destination safely and being injured or killed in a single-vehicle accident.

Speeding and distracted driving are other leading causes of single-vehicle accidents. There is a common characteristic of the top causes of single-vehicle accidents, including driving under the influence of alcohol, driver fatigue, speeding, and distracted driving. That common denominator is driver choice. Each of those things is something that results from a driver’s voluntary choices about what they do both before and during their drive. This is encouraging news for drivers, because it means that they have the power to make choices that will greatly reduce the likelihood that they will be involved in a single-vehicle accident.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Serving Mississippi Car Accident Victims and Their Families  

If you have lost a loved one in a single-vehicle accident, or if you were injured in a one-car crash, you may be able to recover for the loss or damages that you have experienced. The compassionate and experienced Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC help accident victims and their families recover the compensation that they deserve. Please call our office today, at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free, initial consultation.

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