How Important Is a Vehicle Door Latch During a Collision?

While any serious motor vehicle accident poses a risk of causing severe injuries, this danger is magnified when a vehicle occupant is ejected from the vehicle. There is a much higher probability of suffering catastrophic injuries if someone is ejected from a car, truck or SUV.  Car industry safety data indicates that there is a 300 percent increase in the probability of a car accident fatality if a vehicle occupant is ejected.  Some vehicle ejections are the product of faulty car door latches.  Manufacturers of motor vehicles consider vehicle doors to be an essential part of the overall structural strength of the motor vehicle. It is reasonable to assume that car doors would be designed and manufactured to ensure that they are capable of withstanding the pressure and impact of a typical car accident. Unfortunately, many car door latching mechanisms are not designed to withstand the impact of a typical car crash.

While many vehicles come with automatic door locks, there are a wide range of vehicles in which this is not a standard feature. This means that vehicle occupants must manually engage the door lock mechanism. While it is a widely acknowledged  that if the door lock mechanism is not engaged the door may swing open in a collision, many vehicle manufacturers do not provide adequate notice to vehicle consumers.  If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident or a loved one dies because a defective door latch fails during a collision, you may have the basis for a product liability claim against the vehicle manufacturer.  Even if the accident was caused by the negligence of another driver, this does not relieve the vehicle manufacturer of liability for a defectively designed or manufactured door latch.

Although there are industry standards that require door latch mechanisms to be designed to withstand certain levels of impact, there is no existing testing protocol to determine that door latches actually comply with these standards.  Because there is no established testing procedure for determining whether vehicle door latch mechanisms meet industry standards, vehicles are often manufactured with defective door latches that will not withstand the impact that they are supposed to be able to absorb safely.

One component of door latch mechanisms that may be defective is the remote rod. This component is what connects the door handle to the door latch.  If the remote rod bends under the force of impact during a collision, this may cause the door to fly open during a crash.  Sometimes vehicles are designed with less safe remote rods. For example, tension type rods are less reliable than compression type linkage rods, but vehicle manufacturers do not always opt for the safer alternative.  The way a vehicle is designed in the strength of the door may also impact whether or not the remote rod is compromised during a collision.  If a car door has more than one retention point, this also makes the risk of a car door flying open during a collision less likely.

Although a vehicle with a defective door latch can turn a minor collision into a catastrophic accident, vehicle manufacturers do not necessarily rush to recall vehicles because of defective door latches because of the cost associated with a widespread recall. There have been a number of incidents in the past where recalls of vehicles were delayed despite the company having information suggesting that the vehicle door latches did not meet minimum safety requirements under federal law.

The Mississippi car accident lawyers of Barrett Law represent those injured in car crashes throughout the state, including those caused by defective motor vehicles.  If you have been injured in a Mississippi car accident caused by a defective vehicle or faulty vehicle component, the experienced Mississippi car accident attorneys at Barrett Law diligently represent accident victims throughout the state so call us today at 662-834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Have Measures to Reduce Teen Car Accidents Been Effective

Accident rates and traffic fatalities have always been higher amongst inexperienced teenage drivers.  Motor vehicle accidents cause one in three teen deaths in the United States annually.  On an average day, approximately eight teenagers aged 16 to 19 die in fatal car crashes.  When examined on the basis of the number of miles driven, teenagers in this age group are four times more likely to die in a car crash than more senior drivers.  Teenage drivers are involved in a substantial number of accidents because of inexperience, risk taking behavior and an unrealistic assessment of their own driving abilities.

One program that has been lauded as having a substantial impact on reducing the number of car accidents involving teen drivers and reducing teen accident fatality rates are graduated licensing programs which have been adopted in all states including Mississippi.  Graduated driver’s license programs are designed to grant driving privileges to new inexperienced teen drivers in stages so that the number of risk factors for new drivers is reduced.  For example, a new teen driver with an intermediate license in Mississippi is not permitted to drive at night between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM unless there is a supervising adult driver in the front seat of the vehicle.  Teen drivers are also prohibited from text messaging while driving.

It has been widely accepted that graduated driver’s license programs are an effective means of reducing car accidents involving teen drivers.  Unfortunately, a new study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) indicates that the benefits that were believed to have been generated by graduated driver’s license programs in reducing teen accident rates and teen car accident fatalities may be illusionary. The study which involved analyzing a broad range of car accident data suggests that the restrictions may simply delay teenage accidents until teenagers have obtained their unrestricted license.

Graduated driver’s license programs have been thought to be so successful that a version is now the law in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Though there are variations between the states in terms of how these programs work, the philosophy behind the programs is similar to the program in Mississippi.  They are a system for granting driving privileges in stages that allow inexperienced new drivers to gain driving experience while reducing accident risks by gradually introducing more challenging driving situations.

Previous studies that were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of graduated licensing programs found as much as a thirty percent reduction in teen accidents for the most inexperienced teen drivers age 15 to 17. While the new JAMA study confirmed that graduated driver’s license programs appear to reduce teen accident rates for the most inexperienced drivers much of the gain is offset by an increase in accident rates amongst fully licensed 18-year-old drivers. The JAMA study found that when accident rates were compared in states before and after the implementation of graduated licensing programs the car accident rate for 18-year-olds increased by twelve percent after enactment of a graduated licensing program.

The researchers suggest that the results may mean it is important to more gradually phase out restrictions that apply to intermediate driver’s licenses.  The researchers also suggest that the spike in accident rates for teen drivers who are 18 may be partially linked to drivers waiting longer to seek a license so that they will not be subject to the restrictions.  At Barrett Law PLLC, we have seen the tragic consequences of teen inexperience behind the wheel.  Teen driving accidents in Mississippi cause many serious injuries and fatalities.  If you are a teenager injured in a Mississippi car accident or another driver injured in a collision with a Mississippi teen driver, our experienced teen car accident lawyers have helped many people just like you obtain compensation for their injuries.  We will evaluate your Mississippi car accident claim so that we can assess you of your rights and options so call us at 662-834-2376.

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Tailgating Is an Extremely Dangerous Driving Practice

While failing to allow a proper following distance is one of the more dangerous violations of traffic safety laws, it remains a common practice that results in a substantial number of serious accidents resulting in severe injury, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones and fatalities.  While most motorist are familiar with the three second rule which involves allowing a buffer of at least three seconds between your car and the vehicle in front of you, this is a general rule of thumb that does not apply in all situations.  If you are traveling at a high rate of speed or driving in adverse weather or traffic conditions, most vehicle safety experts would advise an even wider following distance be maintained. The practice of following too closely or tailgating is a common feature of aggressive driving but also may simply be the result of an impatient driver.

While there are a wide range of violations of the Mississippi rules of the road that may constitute serious accident risks, the practice of tailgating poses a particularly unsafe driving practice because of the challenges associated with enforcing compliance.  Because estimating appropriate following distance is a highly subjective process, it is difficult for law enforcement authorities to stop and cite drivers for following too closely. This means that most times a citation for tailgating is issued when a crash between vehicles occurs that is caused by failing to follow at a safe distance.

If you are struck from behind by another vehicle when you are stopped and the other car is moving at freeway speed, you can suffer severe life-altering injuries or even the loss of someone you love. Tailgating is a two-pronged traffic safety hazard because it both increases the likelihood of an accident and also increases the potential severity of injuries. The reason that following too closely increases the likelihood of an accident is that a driver has less time to either brake or use evasive steering maneuvers to prevent a collision.  The probability of suffering more serious injuries is linked to the fact that drivers may have no opportunity to respond to minimize the impact or may be forced to overcompensate because of the limited time to respond causing them to lose control and rollover or run off the road.

If you are confronted by a tailgating driver, it is never a good idea to antagonize the driver.  An agitated or aggressive driver that refuses to allow a safe following distance can quickly become a perpetrator of road rage when antagonized.  The best approach is to simply let the other driver pass you to avoid a dangerous confrontation.  If a tailgating driver slams into another car, truck or SUV from behind, the tailgating driver usually will be liable because drivers are supposed to allow enough following distance so that they can respond if the flow of traffic abruptly stops.

If you are struck from behind by a driver that is following too close and suffer even minor symptoms, you should seek immediate medical treatment.  Many injuries that occur in a rear-end collision, such as whiplash, are not immediately apparent.  Even when someone does not notice serious symptoms associated with whiplash following a rear-ender, whiplash can cause disabling pain and limitations on mobility for months.  It is also important to make sure that an accident report is prepared by police.  The officer will be able to note in the police report that it was a rear-end collision and will typically conclude that the other driver was the at-fault driver.  The officer may even issue a citation against the other driver for following too close.

The experienced Mississippi rear-end accident attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC have successfully represented many injury victims involved in collisions with tailgaters.  We are committed to the principle that the practice of law is a service industry so we provide legal representation based on integrity, compassion and diligence.  If you or a loved one suffers serious injury or a loved one dies in a tragic Mississippi car accident, we invite you to contact us so that we can evaluate your claim at 662-834-2376.

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How Depression Can Follow a Severe Mississippi Car Accident

Many people who have suffered a car accident are surprised when they find themselves later on simply unable to shake the depression which seems to have invaded their lives. Accidents can occur at any place and time, and with our increasingly busy roadways the chances you will be involved in an auto accident are higher than you would want to think.

With over 5.5 million car accidents in the United States each year at any given time there are literally thousands of Americans struggling to heal from injuries sustained in an auto accident—some of which are not as apparent as others. Even relatively minor auto accidents can bring about long-term anxiety, fears about driving or riding in a car, and an all-encompassing depression which makes it difficult to get through your day-to-day activities and to enjoy the things you once enjoyed.

How Common is Depression Following an Auto Accident?

It is believed that as many as one third of all people who’ve been involved in a non-fatal auto accident will suffer from persistent anxiety, depression and PTSD a year following the accident. Even when the accident was not considered to be especially serious in the medical sense, there can be moderate to severe psychological complications. Surprisingly, those who suffered the most persistent forms of depression were typically passengers in the auto accident rather than the driver.

Symptoms of Depression

Those who are suffering psychological problems following a car accident can feel a range of emotions, from mild anxiety when riding in a car to a total inability to travel in an automobile. Depression can bring on feelings of hopelessness, a loss of interest in your regular daily activities and an inability to sleep. You may feel agitated, restless and irritable and have a low tolerance level. People who suffer from depression may feel constantly fatigued or physically drained, and can have trouble focusing, making decisions or remembering things.

In its more extreme manifestations, the person who is under the grip of depression may engage in reckless behavior such as substance abuse, compulsive gambling or dangerous sports as a method of escaping from their feelings.  Those who are suffering depression as the result of an auto accident may feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety and dread when passing the site of the accident, riding in the vehicle which was involved in the accident or even traveling on similar road conditions. Depression can affect your work and your relationships and requires professional attention.

Treatment for Depression Brought on By an Auto Accident

If you’ve been suffering from depression for more than a month or so following your accident, it’s time to get help. It’s important to see a therapist who has experience dealing with the trauma which can follow an auto accident. You may be prescribed medications in the form of antidepressant drugs along with regular therapy which can include anxiety management, breathing and relaxation exercises. In some cases more experimental therapy can include light therapy or other forms of alternative therapies. It takes time to heal, and it’s important that you not become discouraged.

Getting the Legal Help You Deserve

While getting medical help is essential following your auto accident, it may be just as important to get legal help. If your accident was due to the negligence of another person, and you find yourself unable to continue your life as it was prior to the accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you determine whether you can recover damages for your accident. Your emotional pain and suffering are every bit as important as your physical pain and depression treatment can be long-term and costly. An attorney who is knowledgeable about the effects of depression following an accident can be your best ally when dealing with the aftermath of a car accident.

Call and speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer from Barrett Law, PLLC.  Be sure to visit our web blog for more helpful information about your case or call us for a free consultation to answer your important questions.

The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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How GPS Services Could be Used in an Accident Reconstruction

GPS devices are becoming more and more common, and you will find them in a large percentage of the vehicles on the road. While GPS devices are a great way to avoid getting lost in an unfamiliar city, not to mention a great alternative to trying to read a bulky map with letters so tiny only your fifth grader has eyes good enough to see it. GPS receivers have more recently begun to be used in providing essential data during an accident reconstruction.

If a GPS is being used at the time of an accident, then analysts can quickly find out the vehicle’s speed and position before, during and even after the crash. Such technology is possible because of the two dozen fully networked satellites which orbit the earth 12,000 miles up—thanks to the United States Department of Defense. In addition to a GPS receiver, many newer vehicles also have an event data recorder which will provide specific data from its rollover sensors and airbags.

How is This Information Useful?

It may seem that the information which could be extracted from your GPS following a crash would be meaningless, but, in fact, the opposite is true. Suppose you are driving along safely at the posted speed, when from out of nowhere a car slams into you because of a distracted or negligent driver. You think the resulting insurance claim will be a piece of cake—after all, you did nothing wrong. Next thing you know you are shocked to hear that the other driver is claiming you were the one at fault. Assuming there were no eyewitnesses, how will you prove that you were not the negligent party? This is where your GPS could turn out to be invaluable in proving your speed at the time of the crash, the exact time the accident happened, and your exact location and direction you were traveling when the accident occurred. The other driver may be claiming you were exceeding the speed limit, or turned unexpectedly, leaving it up to your GPS to prove otherwise and back up your statements.

Keeping a Log of Events

Even if you have a GPS of your own, don’t assume that will exonerate you from claims of negligence. Just as in any accident, you should definitely call the police so you will have a written police report of the events, tend to your injuries or those of your passengers and call your insurance company as soon as possible. After taking care of those crucial tasks, if you are able, take photos with your cell phone or a camera of the scene of the accident, the damage to your car, and the damage to the other car. Make sure to include landmarks around the accident scene for reference points. If there were witnesses to the accident, take the time to get their names, addresses and phone numbers. Once witnesses have left the scene without you recording their information, it is unlikely you will ever be able to find them should you need their statement later on. If you were injured in the accident, make sure you document every single medical issue you’ve had as a result of the accident, even if it is only a headache from a bump on the head. You never know what will turn out to be critical evidence in a claim, so assume it is all critical.

Getting Legal Help

If you’ve been involved in an accident with injuries or significant damages, it can be extremely important that you get an experienced attorney on board as soon as possible. You are entitled to compensation for your injuries, medical expenses, time away from work and pain and suffering, and your GPS may be the one piece of evidence which ensures you get that compensation. Let your attorney know that your GPS was operating at the time of the accident, then let him take care of your case while you take care of yourself and your future.

Call and speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer from Barrett Law, PLLC.  Be sure to visit our web blog for more helpful information about your case or call us for a free consultation to answer your important questions.

The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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How is Pain and Suffering Calculated in a Personal Injury Claim?

If you have been involved in a car accident which has left you with long-term, serious and even traumatic injuries, you may be entitled to reimbursement for your physical discomfort and emotional trauma. You are probably wondering, however, just how your chronic pain or emotional suffering can be equated with a specific dollar amount. In order to get to this figure there are calculators which are used, and which you can likely find online which give you a rough idea. If you are the victim of serious injuries, and emotional pain is a factor, you must have a knowledgeable attorney who can guide you in the determination of what your discomfort, both mental and physical is worth–on a monetary level at least. Once the two of you have made that determination, it is up to your attorney to convince the other party’s insurance company to see it the same way.

How Do You Figure Pain and Suffering?

The short version is that you will add your pain and suffering amount to your detailed costs for medical bills, lost wages and other related damages, then you will provide the argument which supports the requested settlement amount. In other words, suppose you returned to your job, even though your injuries were still very much in evidence and they were causing you constant pain and suffering. Even though you were back at work and bringing in a paycheck, it is highly likely that your pain would be harmful to your job, damaging your ability to make money. This amount could be included in the total damages requested. By the same token, if your job requires you to sit at a computer all day, and your back was injured in the accident, even if you return to work the pain you experience will make your job much harder than it normally is.

How Much Was Your Life Affected?

Many times compensation for emotional trauma and chronic, physical pain is calculated based on the extent your life has been altered or affected by your injuries. If you’ve undergone an injury which will resonate in your life for months or years to come, the higher pain and suffering award you are likely to get. Similarly, the more ways your life is adversely affected, the higher the damages, and if the injury is considered long-lasting, or results in a noticeable disfigurement or disability, damages go up even higher. Of course when talking about a scar, it is generally considered that when a younger person sustains a scar on their face it is warrants more attention than when an older person suffers a scar on their leg or any other place where it is not particularly noticeable. As you can see, determining how much of your life was impacted because of your injuries and resulting pain and suffering can be a delicate process.

Times Five?

One way to arrive at a figure for emotional trauma is to rank your specific levels of chronic pain and emotional distress from one to five, with five being the most serious, then times that number by the rough estimate of damages you’ve arrived at with your attorney’s help. It’s important that you calculate this realistically, however, because if your pain and suffering is really only a one, but you decide to times your damages by five in hopes of being able to quit work for a while, not only will the insurance adjuster assume you are trying to scam the system, but so will a judge, meaning you could end up with nothing instead of ending up with a fair settlement.

Pain and Suffering is Relatively Intangible

Pain and suffering is a relatively intangible issue, yet can affect your life in serious ways. Your levels of pain and suffering may include embarrassment from scars or other disfigurements, a permanent disability which will change your life forever or even the loss of enjoyment of your life and hope for your future. More specifically, an auto accident can leave you with anger, loss of appetite, chronic anxiety, loss of your chosen career, may leave you unable to concentrate or confused, could cause you to cry for no reason (often), could leave you with chronic depression and an inability to enjoy your former life, or could leave you with unwarranted fears, a feeling of hopelessness, may give you nightmares or may even negatively impact your existing relationships. It’s important that you have an attorney who will be your advocate and work aggressively to get you the compensation you need and deserve.

Call and speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer from Barrett Law, PLLC.  Be sure to visit our web blog for more helpful information about your case or call us for a free consultation to answer your important questions.

The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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How Medical Issues Following an Auto Accident Can Change Your Life

Statistically speaking, if you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, there’s a good chance there were injuries sustained, whether minor or severe. At least one out of every three motor vehicle accident causes a relatively serious injury, meaning that out of the over six million car accidents in the United States each year, two million will result in over three million men, women and children sustaining injuries.

While some of these injuries will be minor cuts, scrapes and bruises, many more will render injuries which will be life changing, and sometimes life-ending. Many soft-tissue injuries are virtually undetectable at the time of the accident, however may manifest themselves days or weeks down the line. For this reason, if you are ever involved in an accident, it’s important to be thoroughly checked out at the hospital, even if you believe you are completely all right.

How “Hidden” Injuries Can Come Back to Haunt You

Following a car accident, some injuries will be readily apparent. If you are bleeding, scraped or obviously bruised, or if it is clear you have a broken bone, then whether you will likely be whisked off to the hospital to have your injuries taken care of. However, many other types of injuries are not so visible and clear-cut.  Parts of your body were likely put under stress or strain from the impact of the collision between vehicles, or your vehicle and an immovable object.

This type of injury typically takes longer to manifest than blunt trauma injuries. It could be weeks, or even months after the accident when you begin to have headaches, neck or back pain, dizziness, or may even begin to have trouble remembering thing due to head trauma. Additionally, these types of injuries are harder to diagnose with traditional diagnostic equipment such as x-rays, MRIs and CAT scans. Although your pain is very real, these machines often fail to register soft tissue damage, leaving you frustrated and hurting.

Whiplash and Concussion

The two most common forms of injury which are severe enough to change your life, yet may be elusive enough that your doctor is unable to offer a definitive diagnosis are whiplash and concussion. Whiplash in particular is often taken lightly or even dismissed, however it is a serious injury which requires appropriate treatment for a full recovery. When the neck is suddenly distorted due to the impact of a car into your own, you can end up with mild to severe chronic headaches, shooting pains in your back and neck, minimization of your range of motion, swelling and muscle spasms, to name a few. Treatment for whiplash can range from self-care to professional medical treatments including rehabilitation exercises, chiropractic treatments and even surgery in severe cases.

Concussions are essentially a physical injury to the brain which disrupts the normal brain functions. In the early stages of a concussion, there may only be headache, dizziness or minor confusion. In later stages, the effects of a concussion can be much more significant, and can include a complete inability to concentrate on the task at hand, growing fatigued quickly and chronic irritability, anxiety and depression. In short, a more serious concussion can bring long-term effects, and can completely change not only your life, but the lives of those who love you as well.

After the Accident

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, it is necessary for you to commit to the medical rehabilitation as designed by your doctor. Many times people fail to take their injuries from a car accident seriously enough until the symptoms have grown to an unmanageable level. If you were injured as the direct result of another’s negligence, a personal injury attorney can help you determine whether or not you have a valid claim, and can help you navigate both your medical treatments as well as your insurance claim.

Call and speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer from Barrett Law, PLLC.  Be sure to visit our web blog for more helpful information about your case or call us for a free consultation to answer your important questions.

The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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How Pedestrian Behaviors Can Help Prevent Accidents in Mississippi

Statistics show that more than 4,300 pedestrians are killed in traffic accidents each year in the United States, with the afternoon and evening hours being the most dangerous, and nearly half of all pedestrian fatalities occurring on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Obviously, pedestrians are much more likely to come out on the losing end when they are hit by a car which is basically thousands of pounds of steel and glass. While the driver and passengers inside the car are protected to a certain degree, especially when the car strikes a pedestrian, the pedestrian is completely vulnerable to injury.

Children between the ages of 5 and 10 are the most likely victims of a pedestrian-car accident, although those over age 65 also account for a large percentage of pedestrian accidents. Halloween is a particularly dangerous night for children, although New Year’s Day still holds the record for the highest pedestrian fatality rates. While many accidents between a car and a pedestrian are the result of a distracted or negligent driver, there are specific actions pedestrians can take to avoid becoming a casualty in a car-pedestrian accident.

Ways Pedestrians Can Avert Disaster

Pedestrians should strive to be fairly predictable when they are walking on busy streets, and understand that drivers are frequently distracted and probably aren’t watching out for pedestrians like they should be. Make sure you always walk in designated places, and cross only at crosswalks. You must obey all traffic laws and signs, and never attempt to cross the street on a red light simply because you don’t see a car coming, or it seems far enough away. If you are forced to walk in an area without sidewalks, make sure you walk on the side facing the oncoming traffic, and if there is little shoulder to the road, stand still when cars pass you.

Wear either light or bright colors to make you more easily visible, and if you walk at night, make sure you have a jacket or shirt with reflective tape on it. Walk defensively in the same way you drive defensively, meaning don’t talk on your phone, text, or use headsets or MP3 players which could cause you to miss the necessary sounds of traffic. Obviously, don’t walk when you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, even certain prescription drugs. Even if you have a green light in the crosswalk, look left, right and left again before you walk. Never assume that because you can see a driver he or she can see you as well. Drivers can be multi-tasking (never a good idea) while they drive, meaning they may be more focused on the burrito they’re eating, the radio station they’re fiddling with or the ringing cell phone on the dash than looking out for pedestrians.

If You’ve Been in an Accident

If you’ve been the victim of a pedestrian-car accident, you likely have serious, even life-threatening injuries which can takes months or even years to completely heal. Vehicles are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk, and those who ignore this law can face fine or prosecution if their negligence resulting in pedestrian injuries. It is important that you contact a personal injury attorney who has experience dealing with pedestrian accidents so you will have an advocate in your corner who will look out for your well-being. You need to be focused on getting better and getting your life back on track, and your attorney can focus on getting you the compensation you need to do so. You need help for your medical bills and your lost wages, so don’t delay in calling an attorney.

Call and speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer from Barrett Law, PLLC.  Be sure to visit our web blog for more helpful information about your case or call us for a free consultation to answer your important questions.

The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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How Red Light Cameras May Actually Cause Auto Accidents in Mississippi

The very first red light camera ticketing device was used in New York City in 1993. Since that time, some 24 states have implemented red light cameras while another 15 have banned them altogether. You may wonder why there is such a divided opinion on the use of these automated ticketing systems. Research and studies don’t seem to provide a definitive answer as to whether these systems cause accidents or prevent them as you will read both opinions almost equally. If you’ve been the victim of an accident you believe to have been caused by a red light camera, it’s important to have an experienced attorney who is well aware of the diverse opinions regarding red light camera accidents.

Red Light Cameras May Reduce Some Accidents

When referring to broadside car crashes, red light cameras may actually reduce these types of accidents. Broadside car crashes are caused when a car illegally enters crossing traffic, crashing squarely into the side of another car. Slightly more studies than not have shown this particular type of accident is a bit reduced through the use of red light cameras. The Washington Post, however, conducted a study of traffic accidents at intersections policed by red light cameras and found T-bone collisions actually rose 30 percent. The underlying theory is that motorists are less likely to run a yellow or flat-out red light if they are aware of the red light camera at the intersection, however this theory does not always hold true.

Red Light Cameras May Cause Accidents

Even though red-light cameras are occasionally credited with reducing broadside car accidents, they are almost universally given credit for increasing the incidence of rear-end accidents. This occurs when a person is headed through an intersection when the light is green, or has barely turned yellow. They realize there is a red light camera up on the pole and slam on their brakes in an attempt to avoid a ticket in the mail a week down the road. Unfortunately, the person behind them was not privy to that thought process, so plows right into the car whose driver made the sudden—and ill-advised—decision to stop instead of continuing safely through the intersection. In almost every study done, rear-end accidents increased significantly at intersections where red-light camera ticketing systems were being used.

Weighing the Evidence

Because a broadside crash will generally cause more severe injuries than a rear end accident—though not always—proponents of red light cameras believe there are less serious injuries when red light cameras are in place. However, the Washington Post investigation once more found to the contrary, stating that both injury and fatal crashes increases as much as 80% in intersections where red light cameras were used.

What is Spillover Effect?

When drivers change their behavior around other intersections in the area whether or not they are equipped with red light cameras, this is known as spillover effect, meaning that if the red light cameras change behavior—whether negatively or positively—then the behavior is also changed at non-camera intersections. The assumption is that if a red light camera at one intersection brings positive changes to driver’s behavior, then this positive behavior will spill over to all intersections in the area. The same would be true if you believe red light cameras result in negative driver behavior and more accidents.

The truth is, whether red light cameras increase auto accidents or decrease them, as long as they are bringing in the huge amounts of revenue they currently are, they will remain in full force. Municipalities find red-light cameras an easy way to increase city revenues without the need of a human body patrolling the area constantly on the off chance they will catch someone sailing through a red light. If you believe a red-light camera was directly responsible for your accident with injuries, a Mississippi personal injury attorney will be able to advise you as to whether it is likely you could receive a settlement through filing a claim.

Call and speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer from Barrett Law, PLLC.  Be sure to visit our web blog for more helpful information about your case or call us for a free consultation to answer your important questions.

The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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Do Seat Belts Really Save Lives in Mississippi?

If you’ve ever been stopped by a police officer for not having your safety belt on—or wearing it improperly by having the shoulder strap under your arm—you probably felt annoyed that the government dictates seat belt usage. Annoying or not, the truth is that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that more than 15,000 lives are saved each and every years in the United States because the driver and passengers were buckled up. Now, consider if one of those 15,000 lives was someone you love—your spouse, your parent, your sibling or your child.

How Seat Belts Protect Lives

Safety belts keep the drivers and passengers inside the vehicle in the event of a crash. Even though there was an urban myth which floated around for a while which held you are much better off to be thrown from the car in the event of a car accident, this simply isn’t true. In fact, those who are ejected from the vehicle are as much as four times more liable to be killed than those who remain inside, restrained by a safety belt. The seat belt controls the strongest parts of your body—in an older child or adult, these are the hips and shoulders. A properly worn lap and shoulder belt also spreads the intensity of the crash across the widest area of your body.

When less stress is put on any one section of your body, serious injury can be averted. The shoulder strap portion of your seat belt also restricts your neck, head and shoulders from striking the dash, steering wheel or other hard parts of your car’s interiors. Bodies are injured in crashes because of the quick alteration in speed, therefore the seat belt protect you by slowing your body down and preventing it from making a sudden change in speed. Finally, a safety belt is specifically designed to protect the two most critical parts of your body—your brain and your spinal cord. Traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries can have lifelong, serious consequences, and wearing your seatbelt goes a long way in preventing such a serious injury.

Make Sure You Buckle Up Correctly

Having your seat belt fit you correctly is almost as important as wearing it. The strap across the lap should fit snugly over your hips and upper thighs—not up on your stomach. The shoulder belt should be positioned across your chest area. The shoulder strap should never go across your chin or neck, and remember that placing the strap under your arms or behind your back and lead to serious injuries in the event of a crash. Children need specialized protection in the form of car seats and booster seats. Check the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics to ensure you are providing the best option for your child’s age, height and weight. It is recommended that all children ride in the back seat of the vehicle, properly restrained in a car seat or seat belt, until the age of 13.

Click It—or Risk a Ticket

Every state in the United States, with the exception of New Hampshire, have seat belt laws, and in over two-thirds of these dictate that a police officer can stop a vehicle only because of a seat belt violation. In the other states the officer must have another reason to stop the car before citing the driver or passengers for failure to buckle up. You can be fined anywhere from $30 to $150 for failing to wear your seat belt, depending on your state. It is estimated that over 83% of all drivers and passengers wear their safety belts on a regular basis whether due to safety issues or fear of a citation. If you have a medical issue which prohibits you from wearing a safety belt, you will need to have a doctor’s note stating this which you carry in your car at all times. If you feel you’ve been unfairly given a seat belt ticket, contact an attorney who can help you decide whether to challenge the ticket or simply pay it and wear your seat belt from now on.

Call and speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer from Barrett Law, PLLC.  Be sure to visit our web blog for more helpful information about your case or call us for a free consultation to answer your important questions.

The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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