What Safety Features Actually Make You Safer?

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When we are behind the wheel of a motor vehicle our main concern and focus should be on getting from one place to the next as safely as possible. However, that is not always the case for the majority of drivers out there in the United States today. Accidents and mistakes are a common aspect of life. Yet, when you are involved in an automobile accident you face the risk of being seriously injured, and even killed. However, when it comes down to the actual safety features within a motor vehicle, which ones are actually helping fight for your safety?

Breaking Down That of Safety Features

 If you were to turn on the television right this moment it is certain that you would eventually come into contact with a motor vehicle advertisement of some sorts that describes a vehicle from the inside out, as well as the safety features within it. Many vehicles have safety features and installments that are suppose to be geared towards making you, and your vehicle safer. Unfortunately, not all of these safety devices, and features actually really do anything for you as a driver, or passenger.

What Safety Features You Should Be Familiar With

 Recently, a study was conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which brought to light what safety features were actually making a difference. The top safety feature that helps drivers the most is that of the Forward Collision Avoidance System. What this actually does is senses other vehicles, and objects around it and can help driver’s know when to slow down, or actually slows the vehicle down itself. With this safety feature, drivers are 14% less likely to be involved in the majority of car accidents.

Another safety feature that helps drivers are direction-shifting headlights. How this device works is that it actually helps driver’s visibility when approaching curves, animals, or other stationary objects. When these are installed within vehicles drivers are 10% less likely to be involved in an automobile accident.

Hopefully as we look to the future we can count on other safety features helping contribute to our safety. When a driver has one, or both of these devices installed in their vehicle they are significantly putting themselves in a safer situation every time they are behind the wheel of their motor vehicle.

If you suffer any of these serious injuries because of an anesthesia mistake, our experienced Mississippi anesthesia medical malpractice lawyers are committed to assisting victims of substandard medical care obtain the financial compensation to rebuild their lives.  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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Multi-Car Accidents

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A multi-car accident is any accident which involves three or more vehicles, including motorcycles, trucks or passenger vehicles. Because there was likely an underlying cause which initially caused the crash, a multi-car crash can be a nightmare on many different levels. Dealing with your insurance company will be much more complex, and you may find it harder to pinpoint who the negligent party actually was, meaning it may be more difficult to prevail in a personal injury case. If you have been involved in a multi-car accident, it’s important to get experienced legal representation as soon as you possibly can.

What Caused the Accident?

The cause of a multi-car accident will likely be the same as in an accident involving two cars. Human error could be a cause of the accident, or it could be attributed to driver fatigue, driver distraction, drunk driving, mechanical failure, inclement weather or sheer recklessness. Many multi-car accidents happen on freeways when cars are driving too fast and too close to one another. When a car stops suddenly way up the road, the cars behind don’t have enough reaction time to avoid an accident.

Who Will Be Liable for the Accident?

Determining the level of responsibility for each driver involved will be an extremely complicated and ultimately incredibly stressful process. Each driver will have a different version of the car crash, and there will be much more data to factor in. A report from the police departmetn is critical even if the police decline to state which driver was at fault. The police report will, at the very least, state the details surrounding the accident such as weather and road conditions, time of day, and approximate speeds the cars were traveling. If it is very obvious who was at fault, then that fact will be in the report.

Comparative vs. Contributory Negligence in a Multi-Car Accident

The fault in a multiple car accident will be determined through either comparative negligence or contributory negligence. If your accident falls under the laws of contributory negligence the person who was hurt in the accident is only be able to receive reimbursement for medical expenses if they did not contribute to the accident in any way. In other words, if you were speeding, therefore could not avoid a pile-up in front of you as a result of that speed, then you would be unable to get compensation. Under comparative negligence, liability for the accident will be weighed according to how much fault can be attributed to each driver, meaning your own damages could be reduced because you were speeding, but you would still be entitled to recover a percentage of the damages.

Whose Insurance Will Cover Your Medical Bills?

Insurance companies will be even more apt than usual to deny claims or point the finger of blame at everybody other than their own insured in a multi-car accident. Remember not to admit fault in a multi-car accident even if you feel the blame was yours. Get medical attention immediately for any injury, no matter how small, as this will weigh heavily when your attorney is negotiating with the insurance companies.

Why Do I Need an Attorney?

Sorting out the complicated mess of all the parties involved may involve accident reconstruction, securing witness statements and considerable amounts of investigation. There will be extended communications with the various insurance companies and drivers involved in the accident. While law enforcement personnel may cite the individual drivers if it is readily apparent who was at fault, many times they will simply let the lawyers figure it out. Finding who is at fault can be almost impossible which is why you need an attorney who will defend your rights and aggressively prove your lack of fault or reduce your liability in any way possible. The statute of limitations in multi-car accidents can actually be as short as thirty days, and it is wise to allow your attorney to navigate the complexities and be responsible for meeting critical deadlines.

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Is Driving Inherently Risky?

With over 45,000 deaths each and every year in America caused by auto collisions it can make you think twice about the safety of getting behind the wheel. In fact, the average adult who spends fifty years of their lifetime driving has a one in a hundred chance of dying in a car accident. Of course to put those numbers into better perspective, statistics also show that you have a four in a hundred chance of being a victim of a violent crime at some point in your life. It’s impossible to live life while avoiding all risks—the very act of breathing in and out certainly puts you at a risk of something negative happening to you. There are ways, however, to ensure that your driving risks are at least somewhat minimized.

Lowering Your Risk

If you want to immediately lower your risk of being involved in a traffic collision, you can stop engaging in any sort of risky behavior when behind the wheel of your car. Most people are well aware that texting while driving is actually more dangerous than driving while impaired. Those who text while driving are twenty-two times as likely to end up in an accident while the simple act of dialing the phone gives you a three-fold risk. Even talking on the phone while driving at least marginally increases your chances of being in an accident which is likely why most school zones are implementing extremely high fines for those caught using their cell phone while driving through a school zone.

Those who have a pattern of getting behind the wheel after having a couple of beers increase their risk of an accident at least 15-25%. Those who live in extremely busy cities could have an even greater risk than those in more rural areas. Drivers and passengers who neglect to buckle up have a sixty percent higher risk of dying or getting extremely serious injuries in the event of an accident. Drivers of SUVs have a significantly higher risk of being involved in a deadly rollover accident than drivers or passenger cars. As you can see, you have some immediate control over lessening the possibility of getting into an auto accident.

Distracted Drivers

Some estimates put the number of accidents which are directly related to distracted drivers as nearly 75%. Even in cases where a distracted driver may not have been the primary cause of the accident, it can contribute. Distractions occur in many forms: drivers use their cars just like a home office; they eat, they change radio stations, talk on their phones, watch their GPS, read a map, discipline the children, talk to their passengers, watch the passing billboards or simply daydream about anything other than the task of driving. Most distractions could be easily prevented if drivers resolved to do only one thing when behind the wheel—drive.

Driving Too Fast and Other Risky Behaviors

Driving over the speed limit is believed to be a factor in as many as half of all collisions. Driving too fast for the road conditions significantly decreases your reaction time. Since as many as seventy percent of all American drivers admit to speeding at one time or another, you can see this is an area of risky behavior that can be significantly minimized. Engaging in road rage,  exhibiting aggressive or reckless driving behaviors or neglecting to take poor road conditions into account when driving can also be a cause of accidents. If you want to minimize your risks when you get behind the wheel, work on losing these risky behaviors. If you have been the victim of a negligent or reckless driver contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

 

 

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Is Your Car Accident-Prone?

Sounds silly, right? After all, humans can be accident-prone, but surely not a hunk of metal in the form of an automobile? There are all sorts of reasons that auto collisions occur, with the large majority of those being traceable to some sort of driver error. Drivers get fatigued, distracted, reckless or negligent. They drive in situations they are not equipped to handle or drive vehicles they are not particularly trained to drive. They drive after ingesting drugs or alcohol or get behind the wheel fully aware their vision is impaired enough to be a hazard. Driver distraction can come in many forms in our multi-tasking society. Cell phone use, texting while driving, applying makeup, reading a map, eating while driving, fiddling with the radio station or GPS device, turning around to scold the children in the back seat, talking to passengers or simply daydreaming about anything other than driving contribute to driver distraction.

High-Performance Cars

All of these factors contribute to the fifteen million car crashes that occur each and every year, resulting in over forty thousand fatalities as literally millions of accident-related injuries. Many of these car crashes result in life-altering consequences for those involved and the government spends untold amounts of money in their attempt to make drivers aware of risky behaviors they may be engaging in. A certain portion of auto crashes can be directly linked to the specific make and model of the car being driven. Studies prove that particular models are simply much more likely to be involved in a car collision. Cars with high-performance motors are not at risk simply because they can accelerate quickly, reaching high rates of speed, rather because of the driver behind the wheel who runs the risk of losing control and crashing. This fact likely is a primary factor of higher insurance premiums for sporty cars with powerful motors. Even so, a situation such as this still hinges on the driver’s ability rather than the car’s performance.

Which Cars are More Likely To Be Involved in a Collision?

There are some cars on the road today which are simply less safe to drive—proven by their track record of collisions. Although Toyota is regularly considered one of the safest, most reliable brands on the road today, one of their cars, the Scion, actually tops the list of the cars most likely to be involved in a car crash. Others who are more frequently engaged in car crashes than normal include the Honda Civic, Mitsubishi’s Galant, Subaru’s Impreza, Hyundai’s Tiburon and Chevrolet’s Cobalt. Now remember that these cars are not inherently unsafe simply because they top the list of collision incidence.

More likely the combination of relatively high-performance vehicles in the hands of younger, more inexperienced drivers creates a higher risk of collision. While these are the cars of today that top the list, the accident-prone cars of the past include the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro. Although Ford’s Mustang Shelby and the Chevy Corvette do make the list of the top 150 cars most likely to be in an accident they remain at the bottom—probably because younger drivers are unable to afford them. As a whole, older drivers tend to exhibit better judgment when behind the wheel of a powerful sports car.

The Effect of Your Car’s Color on Your Likelihood of Having an Accident

An Australian survey found that black vehicles are statistically more likely to be involved in a car accident than white vehicles, probably due to the ability of humans to see some colors better than others. Surprisingly, silver cars—the most prevalent color on the roadways—come in right behind black vehicles for high crash rates and difficult in being seen. Hybrid car drivers are about 25% less likely to be involved in an accident; whether that is because of the extra weight of the hybrid battery or because hybrid drivers are simply more cautious is unknown. Those who have been injured in a car collision should contact the most qualified personal injury attorney available as soon as possible following the accident. Your claim will be evaluated and your attorney can advise you on whether you should pursue a claim.

 

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Side-Impact Car Accidents

Automobile collisions are responsible for about three million injuries each year and over 43,000 fatalities. Of these crashes nearly 9,000—or approximately percent—are side-impact accidents. Side-impact accidents are also known as T-bone crashes by virtue of the fact that when one vehicle hits another on the side it resembles a “T.” The location of a side-impact automobile accident puts the driver and passengers at significant risk. The sides of cars generally have far fewer safety features than other parts of the car since few cars other than higher end models have side-impact airbags.  A front or back collision means there is several feet of metal and steel standing between a human being and the other car, but in a side collision there is little more than a door frame stopping the other vehicle from impacting with a person. In fact, this area has been dubbed the “crumple zone,” by experts who study car crashes. When a seat belt is properly worn it can certainly keep the body stationary but does not stop major injuries from occurring.

Typical Locations of Side-Impact Crashes

Most commonly a side-impact car crash will occur in an intersection. Quite often drivers see a yellow light and speed up in order to race through the stop light. A driver who is traveling through a green light can be broadsided in a mere instant with absolutely no way to avoid the accident. Children are the most vulnerable passengers in a side-impact car collision—even more so should they not be restrained in an approved child safety seat. In this instance a side-impact airbag could actually do more harm than good since airbags are designed to protect adults and can seriously injure a much smaller child. How severe the side-impact accident will be is also highly dependent on the relative height and weight of the vehicles involved. Imagine a truck or SUV which sits high off the ground hitting a low-to-the-ground sports car from the side. It is likely the driver of the sports car will sustain serious or even fatal head injuries.

Common Injuries from Side-Impact Crashes

Leg injuries are common in side-impact collisions, particularly when the impact occurs at the bottom of the car door, crushing the door inward. Leg lacerations, fractures or crushed bones are likely in this type of accident. In the same vein, hip injuries may be severe when the impact occurs in the middle of the door. A middle door impact can also lead to broken or crushed ribs and arm injuries or even severed limbs in high-speed crashes. The overall impact of the oncoming car striking the other on the side can lead to shoulder injuries that can include muscle tears, dislocation, broken shoulder bones or severe lacerations.

The back is likely to be injured in a side-impact collision with injuries ranging from a pinched nerve or slipped disc to a sprained or broken back. While whiplash injuries are more common in a rear-impact collision any time the neck is moved violently from one side to the next injuries such as whiplash or a strained, sprained or even broken neck can occur. Another downside to having a side airbag—although it could potentially save your life—is that, depending on the position of your head at the time of the crash—the airbag can hit the ear and head with considerable force. Loss of hearing, distortion of sounds and ringing of the ears can result. Head injuries which result from the head impacting with the side glass window can be severe—traumatic brain injuries often occur in side-impact car crashes.

Negligence as a Cause of Side-Impact Collisions

Negligent driving is one of the main factors in side-impact collisions. Because injuries to driver and passengers will likely be serious, it is crucial that a knowledgeable personal injury attorney be consulted who can ensure you achieve the best legal results possible. You could be entitled to medical expense compensation, lost wages and pain and suffering as well as for a partial, total or permanent disability.

 

 

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Criminalization of Distracted Driving Can Benefit Mississippi Personal Injury Victims

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Distracted driving in its many forms poses one of the greatest motor vehicle safety risks to those on Mississippi roads.  Drivers who are using a cell phone, eating, drinking, putting on makeup, reading or otherwise not focusing their full attention on traffic and the roadway cause many accidents.  In a typical year, distracted drivers cause over 410,000 injuries and almost 3,100 fatalities according to the Department of Transportation website “Distraction.com.”  Because of the alarming number of families who have their lives turned upside down by drivers who are not focused on driving, distracted driving may become a basis for imposing criminal liability on drivers.

A Massachusetts driver was recently convicted for motor vehicle homicide and a slew of other crimes related to a car accident caused by the driver who was engaged in text messaging at the time of the collision.  The accident resulted in the death of a father of two small children and injury to two others.  The district attorney in the case provided cell phone records for the teen driver, which revealed that the seventeen year old driver sent over 190 text messages the day of the fatal car accident.  Some of the texts were sent immediately before the accident and dozens after the collision.  The teen driver was sentenced to a year of jail time along with other penalties.

Most states including Mississippi have laws that impose criminal liability on drivers who engage in unsafe driving practices that result in serious injury or wrongful death.  It is reasonable to presume that Mississippi prosecutors and those in other states may also start to pursue criminal charges against distracted drivers who cause car accidents resulting in personal injury or wrongful death because they are using a cell phone while driving.  This criminalization of distracted driving particularly involving cell phone use seems appropriate given that the scope and the danger associated with texting and talking on a cell phone while driving is similar to DUI/DWI.

There may be significant advantages for car accident victims injured by distracted drivers if prosecutors pursue criminal liability for drivers that are texting or calling on a cell phone when they are involved in a collision.  For example, personal injury and wrongful death injury victims may be able to use the doctrine of negligence per se when the ban on text messaging is violated.  Negligence per se essentially provides that someone who violates a public safety law may be held strictly liable for any injuries caused by the driver’s violation.  Because bans on text messaging are designed to protect other drivers, passengers and pedestrians, a violation of a law prohibiting texting and driving may facilitate proving liability in a personal injury lawsuit based on negligence per se.

If you or someone you love have been injured in a Mississippi auto accident involving a distracted driver using a cell phone our experienced Mississippi distracted driving auto accident attorneys can analyze your case and advise you of your rights.  If you or a loved one has been injured or you have lost a loved one in a Mississippi car accident, our experienced Mississippi car accident attorneys at Barrett Law represent clients throughout Mississippi so call us today for a free no obligation initial case evaluation at (662) 834-2376.  Our law firm has roots that reach back over 75 years helping car accident victims in Mississippi just like you.

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Legal Theories for Imposing Liability for a Car Owner When Not Driving

While a car accident can disrupt the life of an injury victim and the victim’s family, the challenges are far more difficult if the at-fault driver does not have insurance.  Although it is possible to obtain a car accident settlement or personal injury judgment even if the other driver has no insurance or lacks adequate insurance, there may be no source of funds to pay the car accident judgment.  When the responsible party in a Mississippi car accident does not have insurance, our experienced San Francisco personal injury attorneys may conduct an asset search or other investigation to determine if the negligent driver has other property and assets against which a judgment or settlement can be collected.

One source of recovery for injuries and economic losses in a Mississippi car accident is the owner of a vehicle.  In situations where the driver of the vehicle has no insurance and no substantial assets, the ability to pursue a legal claim against the vehicle owner may offer the best option to obtaining recovery.  Many people do not realize that the owner of a car, truck or SUV may be liable for injuries to an auto accident victim even when the vehicle owner is not driving the vehicle.  However, the owner will not necessarily be responsible for injuries caused by another driver in the owner’s vehicle.  We have provided an overview of some of the legal doctrines that may be used to impose liability on the owner of a vehicle involved in a Mississippi car accident:

Allowing Another Person to Drive: When an owner permits someone else to drive his or her car, Mississippi law still deems the owner of the car to be in control of the vehicle if the owner is in the car.  Even if the owner of a vehicle is not present in the car at the time of the car accident, the vehicle owner may still be liable based on a theory of “negligent entrustment”.  A car owner may be responsible for making a vehicle available to a driver that the owner knows or should know is incompetent because of intoxication or inexperience.

Employer’s Vehicle: When an employee is involved in a Mississippi car accident while performing job related functions or errands for the benefit of one’s employer, the employer may be held liable for injuries caused by a negligent employee while driving.  This type of liability is referred to as “vicarious liability,” which involves imposing liability on a third party for the acts of another based on the special relationship between the parties, such as an employer-employee relationship.

Family Purpose Doctrine: If a child who resides in your family home is involved in a Mississippi car accident while driving a vehicle made available for use by family members, a parent may be liable for a collision resulting from the child’s negligence.

If you or a loved one has been injured or you have lost a loved one in a Mississippi car accident, our experienced Mississippi car accident attorneys at Barrett Law represent clients throughout Mississippi so call us today for a free no obligation initial case evaluation at (662) 834-2376.  Our law firm has roots that reach back over 75 years helping car accident victims in Mississippi just like you.

 

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Tire Separation and Tire Blowouts a Particularly Serious Mississippi Car Accident Hazard

Motor vehicles of all types pose potential hazards when driven by careless or inconsiderate drivers, but bad drivers are not the only cause of serious car accidents.  Sometimes defective vehicle equipment or poor maintenance can equally contribute to serious accidents involving passenger vehicles, SUVs, tractor-trailers (commercial trucks), 15-passenger vans and other vehicles.  The tires of a car, truck or SUV are one of the most important safety components of any motor vehicle.

Defective tires can result in dangerous tire blowouts that cause vehicle rollovers, particularly in vehicles prone to rollover accidents like SUVs and 15-passenger vans.  Manufacturing defects often cause tread separation which can result in drivers losing control of their vehicle.  Tire blowouts are a leading cause of certain types of accidents including lane departure accidents, run off the road accidents and rollover accidents.  While there are multiple factors that can contribute to a tire blowout, such as improper tire pressure, worn or weathered tires and tire defects, many times a tire blowout accident is the direct result of a tire manufacturer’s failure to produce tires that are free of defects and safe to install on motor vehicles.

Tread separation is a common cause of tire blowout accidents in Mississippi.  Most tires on motor vehicles are steel belted radial tires.  When the tire tread separates from the inner portion of the tire, it can cause the tire to blowout.  Though steel belted radial tires are the most popular variety of tires, the risk of tread separation is inherent in the process of manufacturing these tires.  Defects in steel belted radial tires can be the product of both design and manufacturing defects.  A fundamental issue with steel belted tires is that rubber does not naturally adhere to the steel belts.  Tire manufactures coat the steel with copper to facilitate the rubber adhering to the steel belts.  However, copper degenerates quickly creating a risk of tire separation.

Tread separation and tire blowouts are particularly dangerous when a driver is operating a vehicle that tends to be top-heavy because the vehicles are prone to rollover when a tire on the vehicle blows out.  When a person is involved in an accident caused by a defective tire, a driver may have legal recourse to pursue financial compensation against anyone in the production or distribution chain for the tire.  Mississippi product liability law permits liability to be imposed on a designer, manufacturer, distributor or retailer of defective tires based on negligence, strict liability and breach of implied or express warranty.  If the defective tires were installed on the car when you made your new car purchase, you may even be able to pursue a claim against the automaker.

If you or a loved one has been injured or you have lost a loved one in a Mississippi car accident caused by a tire blowout, our experienced Mississippi car accident lawyers at Barrett Law represent clients throughout Mississippi so call us today for a free no obligation initial case evaluation at (662) 834-2376.  Our law firm has roots that reach back over 75 years helping car accident victims in Mississippi just like you.

 

 

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Will Spending More for Vehicles with Crash Avoidance Systems Put You at Greater Risk?

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There are an increasing number of technological safety innovations that are intended to reduce the probability that drivers will be involved in auto collisions in Mississippi.  Many of these safety improvements involve crash avoidance systems designed to warn distracted drivers who are not paying attention to the road that they are at-risk of being involved in a collision.  Distracted driving is a growing epidemic that threatens to surpass DUI as the most significant auto accident safety risk.  Unfortunately, there is new evidence that crash warning systems designed to prevent serious injuries and wrongful deaths in car accidents may do more harm than good.

A recent study revealed that high-tech lane departure systems that are intended to prevent distracted drivers from drifting into adjacent lanes may be causing more auto accidents.  The lane departure systems, which are currently only available in high-end models, promote car accidents rather than prevent them.  The study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reached the surprising conclusion that lane departure warning systems increase the risk of being involved in a collision by ten percent.

The researchers advanced a number of theories to explain the unexpected results of the study.  The primary theory was that drivers annoyed by the warning alarms or the irritated by the over-sensitivity of the system in responding to minor side-to-side movement within a lane may simply disable the systems.  A similar explanation is that drivers simply grow indifferent to the constant warnings and disregard the alarms.  While this seems like a plausible response from drivers that are frustrated or annoyed by these early warning systems, it seems lacking as an explanation for the higher risk of collision.  It would seem that disabling the crash avoidance warning would put drivers in the same position as drivers who had vehicles that were not equipped with this technology.  This type of explanation would suggest that the car accident risk should be the same for cars equipped with lane departure technology rather than ten percent higher.

The unexpected results of the study are being dismissed as a result of the small sample size.  Even the IIHS has indicated that if all cars were equipped with lane departure systems that were used correctly (i.e. not disabled or ignored), the result would be over 7,500 fewer fatal auto accidents annually.  Despite the poor showing for lane departure warning systems, crash avoidance systems that warn drivers that they are about to collide with the vehicle immediately in front of them and apply the brakes to avoid such a collision performed much better.

While this technology may still need tweaking, technology that relies on cameras, sensors, radar and computer technology potentially represents a new era in traffic safety.   Most existing vehicle safety technology, such as airbags, lap belts and shoulder harnesses focus entirely on reducing the severity of injuries when Mississippi car accidents occur.  This new paradigm in traffic safety is intended to not only reduce injury severity and fatalities, but prevent collisions from even occurring.  If someone you love is injured or a loved one dies in a Mississippi car accident, our experienced Mississippi auto accident attorneys may be able to help you seek compensation for your injuries or loss of a loved one.  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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Speeding Increases the Frequency and Severity of Mississippi Car Accidents

Virtually everyone violates the speed limit at some point or at least drives faster than one should given road and traffic conditions.  While many people consider speeding to be a minor infraction, drivers guilty of speeding kill far too many people throughout Mississippi.  The faster a vehicle is moving the more stopping distance that is needed to avoid a car accident.  A car is also less responsive and more prone to rollover at high rates of speed when a driver engages in sharp steering maneuvers.  It is not only the case that you are more likely to be involved in a car accident when driving at a high rate of speed, but the severity of one’s injuries are also much greater when a driver is speeding.

Our Mississippi speeding accident attorneys have successfully represented those involved in car accidents with speeding drivers.  Because car accidents that occur at a higher rate of speed necessarily result in a more intense impact, it is important to have an experienced Mississippi car accident attorney that has handled a substantial number of car accident claims involving substantial injuries and even wrongful death.

The danger of being involved in a speed related accident is substantial given that 90 percent of all drivers admit to speeding, and 75 percent admit to doing so regularly.  Some people justify speeding based on the fact that they exceed the speed limit by only a small margin.  The problem with this reasoning is that even exceeding the speed limit by five mph can cause a serious car accident depending on where the speeding occurs.  Speeding is a significant factor in as many as one-third of all fatal car accidents.  The relationship between increased speed and a higher risk of car accidents is demonstrated by a study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) that revealed that increased speed limits resulted in an increase in the number of car accidents and auto accident related fatalities.

Speed frequently is also combined with alcohol and other dangerous accident risk factors.  An accident victim typically must establish negligence of the other driver to recover compensation for injuries.  Exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for weather or road conditions generally will constitute negligence.  Speeding increases the probability of a driver being involved in a Mississippi car accident resulting in serious injury in a number of ways including:

  • Speeding decreases the amount of reaction time a driver has to engage in evasive maneuvers or to apply the brakes.
  • Excessive speed increases the risk of skidding on icy or wet roadways.
  • Stopping distance increases significantly as speed increases.
  • Speeding increases the force of impact in a collision with another vehicle, pedestrian or fixed object.
  • There is an increased risk of losing control of the vehicle when turning if a driver is speeding.

If you have been involved in a serious car accident in Mississippi caused by a speeding driver, Barrett Law provides a thorough investigation of the facts, extensive legal research, meticulously drafted pleadings and motions as well as compelling courtroom advocacy.  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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