While this New Year’s holiday period was marked by tragedy, the initial reports from the Highway Patrol are more positive than might be expected.  The Mississippi Highway Patrol has reported that there were only traffic related fatalities during the New Year’s weekend.  While this is encouraging news, it remains tragic news for the families of those who lost a loved one in a New Year’s accident and the many others who suffered serious injuries in such accidents.  The most dismaying aspect of these car accidents and other fatal collisions in Mississippi is that virtually all of these accidents are preventable.

The vast majority of Mississippi motor vehicle accidents are the product of human error in the form of inattentive or unsafe driving.  If all drivers obeyed Mississippi traffic regulations and rules of the road, Mississippi motor vehicle accidents could be reduced to a negligible level.  While some motor vehicle accidents are caused by other factors like dangerous roads and defective motor vehicle components, human error accounts for the majority of traffic related fatalities and life-altering injuries.

There are many variations of human error that contribute to serious Mississippi car accidents including the following:

• Fatigued or drowsy driving
• Distracted driving
• Failure to observe right of way rules
• Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI/DWI)
• Speeding
• Aggressive driving
• Weaving in and out of traffic
• Tailgating

These are a few examples of the kind of avoidable driving conduct that account for needless loss of life and catastrophic injuries.  Drunk driving and distracted driving alone account for over half of all traffic related fatalities.  This means that sober drivers that devote their full attention to their driving can play a substantial role in making Mississippi roads safer.  If a driver engages in any of these unsafe driving behaviors, the driver may be liable for any injuries or loss of life caused by the unsafe or inattentive driver.

Some of these driving behaviors are particularly unacceptable and may also justify punitive damages against a driver who causes a Mississippi car accident.  Examples of such behavior might include intoxicated driving, reckless driving (e.g. street racing), aggressive driving and similar driving conduct that essentially demonstrate a conscious disregard for the safety of others.  A court may award punitive damages to provide an incentive to avoid similar conduct in the future and to punish particularly unsafe and objectionable conduct.  The experienced Mississippi car accident attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing tenacious representation to victims of unsafe and inattentive drivers for over 75 years.  We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.